


Some Rain Must Fall

by Foxeyes13



Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4
Genre: Alternate Ending, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Death, Character Views, Complete, Elderly Care, Eventual Sex, Explicit Language, F/M, Female Friendship, Height Differences, Male-Female Friendship, My First Work in This Fandom, Novel Length, Open to Comments and Criticism, Original Character(s), Plot Twists, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, References to Depression, Sarcasm, Slow Burn, Suicidal Thoughts, long story, submissive tendencies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-05
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:42:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 55
Words: 133,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22124281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Foxeyes13/pseuds/Foxeyes13
Summary: Roxi Andrews- a once CIT doctorate hopeful, now the Sole Survivor of Vault 111.  After witnessing the murder of her brother and kidnapping of her nephew, she sets out into the nuclear ravaged Commonwealth to avenge the fate that befell her family.
Relationships: Cait/Piper Wright, Curie/Sturges (Fallout), Paladin Danse/Female Sole Survivor, Robert Joseph MacCready/Female Sole Survivor
Comments: 206
Kudos: 79





	1. Chapter 1

#  **Roxi**

_ October 22nd, 2077 _

All across the CIT campus on a beautiful autumn day, students were stuck indoors with their heads buried in a textbook. They rushed from class to class with high anxieties about their subjects and held tightly to the largest cup of coffee the student cafe sold. I frowned as I watched everyone scurry dizzyingly about the campus lawn. These people were too smart for their own good. Most of them lacked the ability to communicate with their fellow man but yet they could program computer language like they were born with a Pip-Boy strapped to their wrists. 

“Can you believe the whole Jessie and Debbie spat?” My roommate Brandy said with a raised eyebrow, sitting across from me at the picnic table with a large coffee in one hand and a lit cigarette in the other. 

I rolled my eyes, “It was bound to happen eventually.” 

“I  _ know _ but I didn’t think it would be so  _ atomic _ ,” she laughed before taking a drag. “Anyway, did I tell you that I’m sorry to hear about you and Andrew?” 

“Don’t be,” I dismissed, “I was stupid enough to fall for his lies.” 

“First of all, you’re  _ not _ stupid.  _ Obviously _ ,” Brandy motioned towards my tower of textbooks sitting on the table. “You’re better off without his  _ state  _ college baggage weighing you down. Good thing you didn’t cancel your plans this weekend with your family for him…” Brandy carried on and on dragging my ex-fling. 

I felt my attention slip from her as she droned on about God knows what. I was fading into that empty space in my mind that reminded me how I would never truly fit in with anyone. That dark corner of my thoughts that stored all of my anxiety and depression, which was growing larger and larger every day. Not to mention it wasn’t the greatest feeling in the world to catch your significant other cheating on you  _ the day before  _ a big test. I squeezed my hand into a fist and let out a heavy sigh. 

But, in all honesty, most of my mental instability was the fault of this college and the impossible major I enrolled myself into. Advanced Systems Major- the combination of Electrical, Mechanical, and Robotics sent by Satan himself to destroy your life, but in return, you can earn a great salary, if you survive. That’s not even mentioning the Bachelor's degree I completed last semester for Nuclear Sciences. Or even the fact that my dumbass just applied for the Advanced Systems doctorate program. Jesus Christ, I’m a glutton for academic punishment. 

Besides her constant shit-talking, Brandy and I had somehow formed an inseparable friendship since first being paired up in our freshman dorm. Brandy was well on her way to being a top cardiovascular surgeon in the Boston area. She had also submitted her paperwork for her doctorate program today. She just completed an impressive internship at Milton General Hospital last summer- some high profile, very secretive work that required signing lots of documents that kept her lips sealed for legal reasons.

I glanced down at my watch and let out a heavy sigh. My last class ended at two o’clock, and my bus didn’t arrive until three. I looked around the campus and pretended to listen as Brandy rambled on about how awful her schedule was this semester. Fall was my favorite time of year. I loved the slight chill to the air, but the sun was still plenty warm. I loved the pops of colors in the trees- the mix of yellows, reds, and oranges outlining the city. I should be like the rest of my Advanced Systems classmates with my face crammed into a book like the words would absorb through my skin and implant into my brain. But in all honesty, I wouldn't care about my classes or this college until I was back in my dorm late Sunday night.

“Oh, shit, I’m going to be late for class.” Brandy snuffed out her cigarette and collected her things. “Catch you later, lady! Have a good weekend with your family. We’ll get our nails done Monday, my treat!” She waved and bounced away. 

“Thanks, babe. Keep yourself out of trouble.” 

I had a family packed weekend ahead of me, and I was trying to relish the thought of seeing everyone together for the first time in several years. Nate, my eldest brother, was giving a big speech at the Veteran’s Banquet tomorrow evening. My parents were flying into Boston tomorrow morning, joined by my three older brothers that were all home from the service. I was taking a bus today to Sanctuary with plans of staying with Nate, his wife Nora, and newborn son Shaun. I’ve only seen Shaun once since he was born, and the moment the grandparents show up I probably won’t get a chance to see him for the rest of the weekend. With one last disgusted look towards my scribbled notes, I sighed heavily and shoved my textbooks into my bag, hoisting it onto my shoulder. 

I had a short walk ahead of me, but these drivers lately in town were  _ horrible _ . Lots of press and big-wigs with their limos were creeping around campus because of the big unveiling yesterday. CIT had expanded their facility- not with a new skyscraping building, but underground. Brandy, nosy as ever, had come back to the dorm after poking around with the reporters in the streets. She told me it was state-of-the-art; lots of new, large labs and classrooms for students to study and thrive in their education. I chose to hide in my dorm room with the news coverage in the background. They had footage from a vertibird flying overhead- it looked like a sea of people surrounding the main courtyard as they opened the doors for select members of high society and a select group of students. No press allowed inside. I didn’t care, all I knew is all these people on campus made me uncomfortable and I wanted them to leave soon and stop fucking up the already bad traffic in town.

I boarded my three o’clock bus and took a seat near the back. I would be riding this bus to its entirety, might as well make myself comfortable. I pulled out my  _ Advanced Robotics VI _ book and my favorite yellow highlighter. I only made it a few pages at a time before drifting off into daydreams about a different life. A life where my heart didn’t ache because I wasn’t good enough for some idiot frat boy from University Point. A world without this college and its piles of stress (and sometimes tear) inducing homework. A world where I didn’t feel like getting blackout drunk was the most adventure I would find in life. 

The bus slowed itself to a stop about an hour and a half later, right outside of the Concord Red Rocket Station. This was my stop. I shoved my belongings into my bag and walked the rest of the way into Sanctuary. It was a cute little neighborhood. Nate and Nora did a good job picking this place out to raise their kiddo. They lived in a blue and white one-story home with the prettiest landscaping in the entire neighborhood. Before I could even fully knock on the door, it was pulled open by the robot butler, Codsworth. 

“Well, hello miss Roxi!” The robotic butler delightfully greeted me. “We have been  _ eagerly _ awaiting your arrival!” 

“Hey there, Codsworth,” I said stepping inside the house. 

“Dinner will be ready shortly, miss,” Codsworth said as he closed the door behind me. “Spaghetti and meatballs, with homemade garlic bread!”

I took a deep breath. Oh, God, yes-  _ garlic bread _ . “It smells amazing.” 

“Well, look who’s here!” Said the approaching voice of Nora from the hallway. She emerged with a smile, “How are you, Roxi?” 

“I’m good, how are you?” 

The small talk continued for several, almost unbearable, minutes. Nora was a pretty blonde woman, with a slender nose and waistline- a lawyer. Her line of work bored me as much as my major bore her. We had nothing in common, in all honesty. But we were nice to one another, tolerated each other as needed to be as in-laws. 

Finally, my brother walked into the living room with Shaun in his arms. Nate handed the baby off to Nora so he could give me a hug that ultimately ended in him putting me into a headlock. Ah, the love of an older brother. Out of all of my brothers, Nate was by far my favorite. He taught me how to fight and defend myself, how to shoot a variety of guns, among other things he learned in his Army days. I think he felt bad for me, being the youngest and only girl, left to be abused by the three other male siblings on the family farm. I guess it also helps that we’re ten years apart. 

“When are mom and dad getting here? They’re on Flight 1665, right?” I asked Nate as Codsworth set the table. 

“Tomorrow around noon as long as traffic in town isn’t too terrible. And yes, 1665.” 

“God, traffic in Cambridge has been a  _ nightmare _ . I almost got run over twice on my way to class this morning. People are  _ crazy _ !” 

“You can say that again,” Nate snorted and rolled his eyes. 

Codsworth made a delicious dinner, followed with a perfect chocolate cake for dessert. He cleared up the table while we watched the evening news, then suggested a fun game of Blast Radius. Shaun was passed off from person to person during the game, giggling loudly when we laughed at something during the game. 

“Oh, Roxi,” Nora piped up after taking her turn, “I forgot to mention earlier. We had a Vault-Tec Representative come by a few days ago. Since Nate is a Veteran we had first pickings to the local vault. We put your name down as well, so in case something ever happens, you have a place with us there!” 

“In the vault?” I asked, eyes wide. “Wow, thank you! I mean...I hope we never have to use it, but you never know.” 

Nate grunted, “yeah, you never know. And with how high tensions are right now it’s an unfortunate comfort to have a vault up the hill.”

“I  _ know,  _ right?” I said, eyes widening. “Did you hear on the news about-”

Shaun babbled something then tugged hard on Nate’s beard, ending the conversation with a chorus of laughter. It was probably for the best, once army-vet Nate and I started into politics and conspiracies, it would go on for hours. 

The adults went to bed around ten o’clock, allowing me time to sit on the couch, that was acting as my bed, and read through my textbooks. The same textbooks I told myself I wasn’t going to care about until Sunday, but hey, life is full of surprises. 

Codsworth floated over to me and handed me a cup of hot chocolate, “You look down, miss Roxi.” 

I took the hot chocolate and gave Codsworth my thanks before letting out a heavy sigh. “Sometimes, Codsworth, I don’t know what I’m doing with my life.” 

“Now, now, miss. You’re so young with a  _ life _ full of opportunities!”

“I wish I had your optimism.” 

“How  _ is  _ your schooling coming along? If I’m not mistaken, the last time we spoke you were already applying for summer internships.” 

“Oh, yes! I’ve been accepted into both RobCo  _ and _ General Atomics! Now I just have to pick which one I want to do,” I said with a laugh. 

“That’s wonderful news! Congratulations.” 

“Thank you,” I smiled at the three-eyed robot. “I’m actually studying the prototypes for the Mister Handy line of robotics now. I have a killer test next Wednesday.” 

Codsworth was great to talk with. During my previous visits with Nate and Nora, I would spend several hours speaking with him. He would go about his chores, almost always keeping one of his three eyes upon me while we spoke.

I closed my textbook and shoved it back into my bag after draining my cup of hot chocolate. I laid down on the couch and covered myself with a heavy blanket. Sleep found its way to me easily. 


	2. Chapter 2

#  **Roxi**

_ October 23rd, 2077 _

The next morning started like any other Saturday morning at my brother’s place. I woke to the smells of the breakfast Codsworth was whipping up; bacon, buttermilk pancakes and maple syrup- my stomach instantly growled. Nate and Nora cooed over each other like two lovebirds, hogging the bathroom for what seemed like forever. Nate teased me when I asked if they were finished yet, picking me up and throwing me over his shoulder like I weighed nothing. I kicked and laughed, telling him to put me down- he body-slammed me into the couch. Shaun cried from his crib, hungry for his morning bottle, sending Nora on her way to check on him. Breakfast was served soon afterward, and it tasted just as amazing as it smelled. 

The news was on TV in the background- the same shit, different day. A robbery in South Boston. A murder in New York making headlines. A protest in DC. How my generation of Americans was killing the American Dream. It became white noise after a while, just politics rammed down people’s throats. It was your daily dose of paranoia to start a lovely Saturday morning. I tried to ignore the threats as much as possible- I had enough anxiety in my life over my classes at CIT, I didn’t need the Communists creeping into my thoughts. Nate and I were overdue for a light night conspiracy theory session with a bottle of whiskey. And what a better conspiracy theory companion than a man who severed in the Army since he was eighteen?

Once I finished my breakfast, I stole away to the bathroom to ready myself for the day. I took a long hot shower and allowed my stress to melt away. Once out, dried, and redressed, I had a full beauty routine to undergo. Hair was curled and pinned up with a red bandana, eyes smartly lined with black eyeliner, lashes curled to perfection, and a bright red lipstick topped everything off. As soon as I was finished, Nate retook his place in the mirror to practice his big speech for tonight. He was nervous, no matter how many times Nora reassured him. 

I packed away my makeup bag with the books I brought along, recounting to myself all of the work that needed to be done by Monday. I had a test on Wednesday in that awful robotics class, a three-page essay on malfunctions due on Thursday...

Codsworth floated in front of the TV, which was still tuned to the news. He made a curious sound that pulled me out of my thoughts. 

“What is it, Codsworth?” Nate came into the living room, carrying Shaun in his arms. Nora was close behind. 

“The news,” Codsworth said, worry lining his voice. 

The anchorman on TV was stricken with worry- you could see it on his face, like a visible sickness. Just a few minutes ago this same man had wit and charm, a collected and practiced smile. Now...he was almost hunched over as he read his report. “Followed by flashes...yes, blinding flashes. Sounds of...explosions. We’re uh...trying to get confirmation. We’ve seemed to have lost contact with our affiliate stations.” 

“What? What did he say?” Nate said, his eyes widened with fear as he looked around to all of us in the room. I had an awful feeling brewing in my gut and slipped the strap of my bag of books onto my shoulder. 

“We do have coming in confirmed reports- I repeat  _ confirmed _ reports- of nuclear detonations in New York and Pennsylvania. My God…” The anchorman was suddenly cut off and replaced with a  _ Please Stand By _ screen. 

The sounds of overhead aircraft suddenly picked up, closely followed by the haunting winding up of the sirens. The warning sound for a nuclear attack. My heart dropped into my stomach and raced at the same time. Nora was shouting about getting to the vault, but I could barely hear her over the sirens and the blood rushing through my head. Nate rushed out of the door first, clutching Shaun tightly to himself. Nora followed soon afterward. 

I looked to my robotic friend, “Codsworth?” 

“Go, Roxi! Get to the vault and  _ be. Safe! _ ” 

“I will, you too,” I nodded to him and rushed out of the home and into the street.

People were running. They were scared and confused. Some were looking towards the horizon, waiting for what was to come. I caught up quickly to Nate and Nora as they made their mad dash to the vault. The vault was located on the top of the hillside just behind the neighborhood. I couldn’t help but look to the beautiful fall colors of the leaves and the bright blue sky.  _ It’s too beautiful of a day for something so terrible _ . 

People were already crowding the gate around the vault entrance. Most of these people weren’t even on the list to get in, and the army soldiers decked-out with miniguns and power armor were forcing them backward. Nora made it to the guards first and gave our names. The man nodded and pointed to the four of us, granting us access inside. A Vault-Tec employee was standing just inside and ushered us quickly up the hill, instructing us to stand on the blue, yellow, and grey platform. I looked around to the people who joined us there- we all wore the same expression. It was both the blank stare of confusion and the wide-eyed look of panic. I looked up to Nate, words forming on my lips-

_ BANG! _ The light of the nuke was blinding as the fiery mushroom cloud blasted high into the atmosphere. 

Everyone was screaming. Some people were screaming for God. Others were screaming obscenities. The Vault-Tec employees were screaming at each other to drop the platform immediately. I don’t remember screaming. I know I jumped at the sound of the bomb detonating- but I stood in stunned silence. I could only stare. I watched as the radioactive blast of wind started to rip through the trees across the river from Sanctuary, the sky lit with orange fire. I could feel the impending heat like I had stepped into a fire. The platform started its slow descent into the underground just in time. I watched above me as the winds rushed over the mouth of the Vault and listened to the howeling like a freight train was going over the top of us. Down into darkness, we descended as the world ended above us. 

The platform came to a sudden stop, the bright lights of the vault causing me to wince. The gates opened, allowing us to filter through one by one into the vault. We walked slowly into the gaping mouth. I noticed the large anti-freezing piping system leading into the vault, which was connected to some rather large tanks. What were those doing here? They seemed to follow along the entire hallway of the vault. The employees seemed too friendly, too cheerful. Don’t they understand what happened? The world is on fire, and they stand there with smiles so large it was insulting. But of course, they knew what happened, that’s why we were all here in the Vault; they were trying to hide it, trying to keep calm as they tried to keep us calm. 

Everyone was handed a blue and yellow vault suit to put on, reading 111 across the back in golden letters. Awe, no T-Shirts that read “I survived a Nuclear Attack” with a mushroom cloud in the background? What a disappointment.

I retrieved my suit from one of the overly happy ladies. She suddenly pointed to my bag, “your bag will have to stay here, in one of these lockers, until orientation is complete.” I looked protectively at my bag but handed it over with only a few moments hesitation. I changed into my suit, realizing how tight to my body it clung. I pulled at the material where it was too close for comfort but to no relief. I followed closely behind Nate and Nora down the hallway into what the staff was calling the “decontamination chamber.” 

Something wasn’t adding up in my head. There was something about the overhead contraptions with the anti-freezing piping that just didn’t make sense. I stood next to a decontamination pod, right next to Nora. Nate was across from his wife, Shaun still content in his arms. We were instructed to get inside the pods. I didn’t jump directly inside like everyone else, it was like the wheels in my mind were turning as I kept looking over the pods and the connections to the pipes. Where have I seen this before? One of my textbooks maybe? A Vault-Tec employee walked towards me and practically pushed me inside my pod. The door shut automatically. I stared out of the little window, fixated on the tanks behind the pod directly in front of me, as the realization dawned on me-  _ it’s piping for liquid nitrogen! Cryogenics!  _

But it was too late- the world started to fade to black as my body froze in place. 

It felt as if only a few minutes had passed when a violent shiver wracked my body. A voice over the intercom called out “Manual override initiated. Cryogenic stasis suspended.” Finally, the fog of my mind cleared, and I opened my eyes slowly. I could see through the frosted window, and the person across from me was also coming around as well. So this was it, then. We were getting out of these pods. I wondered to myself how long we had been frozen. A few weeks? Months? Long enough for the radiation levels outside to have dropped? My stomach growled I could really go for some of Codsworth’s pancakes. Oh, God... _ Codsworth _ . Was he annihilated in the blast?

Someone crossed in front of my pod. They were wearing a full-body suit, to the point that I couldn’t even see a face. But they didn’t even look my way. Instead, the stranger went directly to the pod Nate and Shaun were sharing. 

“This is the one, here,” the stranger pointed. A females voice. Two others crossed in front of my little window- another person with a full bodysuit, and a balding man in a brown leather jacket. 

“Open it,” the man in the leather jacket demanded. He had a deep voice, almost a growl. 

The pod door opened, I could barely see Nate at this angle, and the two bodysuit strangers stood blocking the rest of my view. Nate was coughing, Shaun started to cry. 

“Is it over? Are we okay?” Nate asked. 

“Almost. Everything’s going to be just fine,” Said the man in the leather jacket. 

One of the bodysuit strangers started to coo at Shaun, promoting Nate to resist, “No, wait! No! I’ve got him.” 

“Let the boy go,” demanded the male stranger. “I’m only going to tell you once!”

“I’m not giving you Shaun!” Yelled Nate. 

_ Bang!  _ Rang out the gunshot, echoing through the entire steel-walled vault. I could hear Nora screaming and pounding against the walls of the pod next to mine. I couldn’t scream; the shock was setting in quickly. Hot tears started to roll down my cheeks immediately, barely a whisper escaped my lips. 

“Goddamnit,” The gunman said. “Get the kid out of here, let’s go. At least we still have the backup.” 

The door to Nate’s pod closed. The cryogenics started back up, and I began to feel cold again. The strangers passed my pod without a single glance in my direction as they exited the vault, Shaun bundled in the arms of a stranger. Within moments, I felt myself drift back into the fog.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies in advance for such a long entry...

#  **Roxi**

“Critical failure in Cryogenic Array. All Vault residents must evacuate immediately.” An alert tone sounded over the intercom of the vault, repeating every few minutes. I started to pull from the fog, forgetting for a moment where I was, or what had happened. My memories started to flood back to me, and I couldn’t seem to stop the horrific images playing over and over again. The bombs. The vault. The murder. The kidnapping. My heart slammed in my chest and I gasped for air. 

The pod door opened with a hiss. I fell to the floor like I had forgotten how to walk, completely off balance. I rested on the cold floor, trying to steady my breathing and regain the use of my legs. I looked towards the chamber’s exit. Strange, the other pods were not opening, and there was an eerie silence between the automated intercom announcement. Were they going one by one? If so,  _ why _ was I one of the first ones to be let go? And why wasn’t the rest of the Vault-Tec staff rushing around if there was a malfunction? There was something wrong here. 

I got to my feet slowly, feeling dizzy and nauseous, but determined. Once I felt collected enough to walk, I moved to Nate’s pod. I opened the pod door with it’s assigned control panel- the door lifted with a hiss as it depressurized. Nate was still frozen in place, I could see the gunshot wound to the head. His eyes lifelessly looked toward the ceiling. 

“Nate…” I whispered, fresh tears pooling and spilling over. “Oh my God...I’m so sorry, Nate.” I stared at my brother’s lifeless form for several minutes as silent tears slid down my cheeks. Why did they kill him? Why did they take Shaun? “I’m going to find him, Nate. I’m going to find answers. I promise. It’s the least I can do for you. So, rest easy, brother, I’ll take it from here.” I hit the switch for the pod door to shut. 

I moved over to Nora’s pod, expecting to see her slowly waking up. Peering inside, she wasn’t sitting upright in the chair of the pod. I thought the pod was abandoned. The control panel for her pod was just to the right of the door- I flipped the switch to release it. The pod hissed for a quick second before the door lifted open. The gust of wind from the pressurized chamber hit me, and it reeked an awful stench- I gagged and quickly covered my face as an attempt to mask the smell. As the door lifted open further, I shrieked at the sight of Nora’s skeleton falling onto the floor outside of the pod.  _ No, no, no, oh my God, no! _ How long had she been dead? Something must have happened to her pod...it must have never returned to a cryogenic state. 

I backed away from Nora’s remains and bolted down the hallway, wailing frantically. The door we had first reported through was stuck. Fuck. Where was everybody? Was I trapped in here? A new panic started to set in- the panic of being trapped. There had to be another way out of this vault. I found a second door that led into a long hallway. I followed it quickly, trying to space myself from all of the lifeless forms in this creepy vault. I moved through two more passageways, and not a single soul was to be found. I was right- something bad happened here while we were all frozen, and not just nuclear fallout. 

I passed through the third threshold and froze in my spot. Up ahead was a cockroach...a  _ giant  _ cockroach. At least ten times the size of the ones I was accustomed to seeing. The roach suddenly turned and faced me. 

Oh shit. 

It started charging towards me, I gave out a little whine of alarm before kicking it as it ran towards me; it flopped over onto its back. I spotted a security baton on a table off to the left- I rushed over and grabbed it before the roach got back onto its feet. When I turned from obtaining the baton, the roach started charging towards me again. With all of my strength, I brought the baton down against the roach’s back, squashing it. 

Disgusting. 

I moved through another threshold marked  _ Reactor _ . Two large nuclear reactors still danced in the blue-glow of electricity. I needed to stay clear of it or risk it zapping me where I stood. I crept around the walkway close against the wall, where I found another giant roach. I squashed it without issue. Up ahead was a skeleton wearing a Vault 111 suit, lying face down just outside of the reactor room door. It had to be one of the employees. Were they trying to escape? 

I kept moving along the vault, even though I felt that I was only going deeper into the rabbit hole. I had to keep shaking frightening thoughts from my head. I feared what awaited for me above ground if I could even make it out of this vault. A few thoughts of a destroyed, irradiated, uninhabitable Earth made me want to find a gun or rope to kill myself now. These were the thoughts I pushed away as quickly as they invaded my mind. I was  _ not _ dying in this vault, alone, without giving my damnedest effort. Shaun- my last family member- could be out there, somewhere. Oh my God...the  _ rest  _ of my family. They were on the flight into Boston when the attack happened. Surely they were dead, but I couldn’t help but wonder if their death was quick, or miserable. Then there was the business with the bastards that shot Nate and kidnapped Shaun in the first place- if they still walked this Earth there was going to be hell to pay. Somehow…

I entered an office area, finding it in disarray, and another skeleton on the floor with what looked to be old bloodstains around the skull. I searched the office for anything useful- I found a 10mm pistol with ammo to match, a few stimpacks, and a pack of cigarettes. The computer terminal was still functioning, which had the access code to open the door in the far corner labeled “Evacuation Tunnel.” I loaded the pistol before heading into the tunnel, readying myself for what might be of the outside world. Walking into the tunnel and following the corridor, I heard the noise of another giant roach. Shit, not  _ more  _ of those things. Two started rushing towards me- I leveled my pistol and let off a shot, missing terribly. The sound of the gunshot in this metal tube was deafening. Fuck. I aimed and tried again, only clipping one of the bug’s wings. Son of a  _ bitch _ . I had to calm down and remember everything Nate taught me before. I took a deep breath and steadied myself, keeping my eyes down sights. I pulled the trigger and the bullet shot through my target’s back- killing it instantly. But what the fuck was I doing? There was no use wasting the rest of my ammo when the security baton did the job. I slashed through the remaining roaches with the hard plastic stick of punishment on my way through the tunnel. 

At the end of the hall, I came to a door that opened up to the vault entrance. The vault’s main door was sealed tight, sealing its inhabitants inside. There was a control panel for the vault’s door up ahead, surrounded by more Vault-Tec employee skeletons. Upon closer inspection, the control panel required a special key or connection that would give full access to the panel’s functions. I looked around the room for a moment. 

There was a skeleton at my feet wearing a Pip-Boy on its wrist.  _ Wow _ , a real Pip-Boy. I relieved the skeleton of the wearable computer, placing it on my left wrist and snapping it in place. I hit the power button, relieved when it started clicking to life. The screen lit up with computer text for a few moments, followed by a diagnostic screen, before the famous Vault Boy popped up on the screen giving his signature thumbs-up. I looked over the Pip-Boy a little more closely- there was a wire that ran from the inner workings of the computer to a white connection. I pulled the connection from its holding place and examined it before holding it up to the control panel. The connection was a perfect fit as I plugged it in, the Pip-Boy screen read  _ Vault Door Remote Access: Ready _ . 

The little glass cover over the red button popped open. I hit the button- yellow lights above the vault door began to flash and warning sirens blared. I unplugged the Pip-Boy connection and watched as the opening operations went into full swing. As the door rolled over to the side, giving off an awful screeching of metal on metal, I felt more relief that my freedom from the vault was safeguarded. 

To walk out of this vault, the sole survivor of this cursed vault...fresh tears welled in my eyes as I listened to the platform elevator returning to the vault floor. It took several minutes for the platform to lower itself, and I refused to turn around and look at the vault’s entrance. The platform came into sight when a sudden thought popped into my head.

_ My bag!  _

I turned and rushed back into the mouth of the vault. The lockers had been shoved over and moved around since the day the bombs fell. I went through a few before I finally found the bag I had turned over to the Vault-Tec employee. I didn’t want to stay and go through it, that could wait until I was on the surface. The less time in this vault, the better. I swung my bag over my shoulder and ran to the elevator. This time I was truly leaving; the thought made my heart race. Now was the moment of truth- what kind of world would I be ascending to? 

As the platform reached closer to the surface, the overhead doors started to pull apart, allowing sunlight into the darkness. It was blinding. I closed my eyes but still had to shield my face with my hand to block the light. The platform jerked to a stop. I could feel the wind on my face, the warmth of the sun on my skin. I still held my eyes closed for a few moments, not yet ready to see what the world looked like. I thought of the last time I stood on this platform, right before the nuke went off. Slowly, I opened my eyes and lifted my head. 

With the first glance of the horizon, my heart sank. When I had plunged into the depths of the vault, there was a fireball to the south horizon, but the sky had returned to its bluest form, which was the only thing that seemed to return to its former glory. Before the bomb detonated, the trees were alive with beautiful hues of oranges, reds, and yellows; the ground was covered in a luscious green sea of grass. Now the Earth was barren. The ground was dead and brown, the trees barely had branches. Sanctuary was once a cute little neighborhood with vibrant homes and shiny cars in the driveways. Now the houses were ghosts of their former glory, dilapidated and depressing. I was surprised that any of them were still standing.

I took a few steps off of the platform and looked across the horizon. “Nate, Nora,” I took a deep breath, “I’m sorry that this was our fate. It shouldn’t be me standing here. It should be one of you, instead. Please, watch over me, somehow guide me to what I need to do...because I sure as hell have no idea.”

With a heavy sigh, I made it down the hillside to return to Sanctuary. I walked the cracked concrete and broken homes to Nate and Nora’s house. The world was too quiet. No one was here to stand on their front lawn and chit-chat with the neighbors. No one to drive their cars down the street, with the humming of the engine or a friendly horn honk. There was no one in the mechanics shop, drilling, banging, or clinking away at the repairs being made. There were no series, or army vertibirds flying in...

There was a movement in the distance near the house. As a precaution, I made sure the safety was off on my pistol in case I needed to defend myself. But the movement seemed to be metal...and floating.

“Codsworth!” I called out. 

The Mr. Handy robot turned and started to come my way, “As I  _ live  _ and breathe ! It’s...it’s  _ really you! _ ” 

“Codsworth! Oh my God...I can’t believe you’re alright!” 

“I almost didn't recognize you with your new hairstyle!” He said pointing towards it with one of his robotic arms.

“Wait...what new hairstyle?” 

“Why, the bold choice of color, of course! I must say it looks very good.” 

“What?” I pulled a lock of my hair forward to examine and almost screamed. Pure white! “Oh. My. God. Is my entire head of hair white?!” I pulled the bandanna from my head, only to find that the once red coloring had also faded to white. “Holy shit...it's from the cryo pod.”

“Miss Roxi, I am  _ so _ relieved that you are well!” Codsworth must have picked up on my increasing anxiety levels and attempted to change the subject. “Where are sir and ma’am? Young Shaun?” 

“I...Codsworth…” I started to tear up again, “Nate was murdered. Shaun was kidnapped. Nora...Nora  _ died _ .”

“These...things you're saying these  _ terrible _ things, I believe you need a  _ distraction _ .” 

“No, Codsworth,  _ please _ listen to me. That vault wasn’t what we thought it was going to be. They froze us in cryogenic pods. Please, I’m the only one that walked out of that vault alive.” 

“Miss Roxi...are...you quite sure?” 

“Yes. Besides Shaun, if he’s still out there, I’m the only one left.” 

Codsworth began to sob, which was quite an odd thing to experience since he couldn’t actually  _ cry _ . “They’re really gone, aren’t they?” 

I instantly felt weak in the knees and brought myself to sit on the ground. To hear another voice confirm my horrors and validate this nightmare hit me differently. “Yeah...they are. And I have no idea what to do.” 

“I don't know what to have expected...two hundred years is quite a long lifespan for a human. But the cryogenics you described-” 

“-Did you just say two hundred years?” My stomach dropped. 

“Why, yes, more like two hundred and ten years, miss.” 

I could have fainted, feeling my eyes roll back into my skull with more bad news. “Sweet Jesus. You're serious?” 

“Yes, I'm afraid I am. It's been rather dull around here...actually it has been just horrible! Two centuries with no one to talk too. No one to serve! I spent the first  _ ten  _ years trying to keep the  _ floors  _ waxed! But nothing keeps nuclear fallout from vinyl wood.  _ Nothing!  _ And  _ don't _ get me started about the futility of dusting a collapsed house! And the car! The  _ car _ ! HOW DO YOU POLISH RUST?!” 

“Hey, hey, hey, calm down. Stay with me. It's okay,” I moved myself to stand back up, reaching out my hands in an attempt to ease him.

“Oh...Miss Roxi, it has been such a long time. When the bombs came and everyone left in such a hurry...I thought for sure you were all...well...dead.” 

“Well...I know it's not much, but I'm here now,” I offered a weak smile. 

“Ah, my dear friend, that is worth more than you know. Now, let's get you settled in, yes?” 

I walked the neighborhood streets, followed closely by Codsworth, looking around the abandoned houses. I saved Nate and Nora’s home for last, trying to keep myself composed and accepting of reality. I walked back to the hallway closet, where Nate had installed a secret safe when he first moved in. He told me the combination in case something disastrous were to ever happen, but never told me what was inside. I opened the safe on the second try, finding that Nate did not disappoint. He had stored his sniper rifle, ammo, purified water, and clothes for both he and Nora. 

I took out the gun and loaded it with ammo. I raised the gun, getting a feel for its weight, length, and scope. It was a bolt action- I would have to get some practice in with his before putting it to real use. His initials were carved into the gun’s stock; I ran my fingers across the engraving, feeling an ache in my chest. 

Once I removed everything of use, I locked the safe and left the house. 

****

In the first three days, there wasn’t a sight or sound that would indicate that humans still roamed the Earth. I watched huge rats on the far side of the river scurry about and dig down into the ground. I had fought off a gigantic gross fly that was buzzing around behind a ruined house at the end of the cul de sac- it exploded when my bullet ripped through it. I threw up immediately. Then, one night, I heard the distant sounds of gunshots. It was an oddly satisfying sound to hear. Gunshots meant humans. Humans meant I wasn’t alone. Not being alone was both comforting and yet terrifying. 

It took several days to buck up the courage to leave the neighborhood. Each day I would walk closer and closer to the Red Rocket station, but I’d startle myself and run back to the root cellar I found behind one of the neighboring houses. I was too afraid of sleeping in one of the dilapidated houses without other means of protection besides Codsworth. I felt too exposed, and sleeping in Nate and Nora’s old house was...haunting. I was getting sick from eating the food left around the neighborhood, probably a combination of expired products and residual radiation. I was also running low on the stash of purified water left in the root cellar.

“I gotta see if I can find some supplies,” I told Codsworth one morning, packing my backpack full of water and ammo. 

He looked at me very intensely with all three of his eyes, “It is a dangerous world, Miss Roxi. May I accompany you?” 

“Of course, Codsworth,” I smiled, “I would love to have some backup.” 

Together, we left the safety of Sanctuary. Our first target was the Red Rocket Station. I found a few cartons of water, but otherwise, everything else was just junk. I added the water to my backpack and walked out of the gas station. That’s when the dog started barking. I turned around to find a German Shepherd trotting its way towards me.

“Well hey there, buddy,” I outstretched my hand so the dog could sniff it. “Are you all alone?” 

The dog barked and whined. 

“Awe, I’m sorry, pup. Would you like to come with us?” 

The dog barked happily and wagged its tail. 

“Alright,” I smiled, “Let’s get underway.” 

Onwards, the three of us walked into Concord. On the outskirts of town, I could hear the popping of distant gunshots. The closer we came to the center of town, the gunshots became louder. I rounded a corner to find a group of people shooting towards the museum. I grabbed my pistol and racked the slide, my heart pounding in my chest and my hands shaking. I wasn’t going to be worth a damn in a fight. 

One of the gunmen turned and saw me peeking around the corner and fired off a shot. I ducked back around the corner, a horrible chill wracked my body as the bullet ricocheted off of the brick building.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” I said, trying to gain some sort of tactical train of thought. “Codsworth we are fucked.” 

Heavy footsteps came running towards us- I looked up just in time to find a man with a hood over his head reading to hit me with his gun. I jumped back, raised the gun, and shot him in the head- gore flying from the exit point. I staggered backward, feeling my stomach turn over at the sight. 

“Oh my God!” I gasped, “I just  _ killed  _ someone! Oh my  _ God _ !” 

Codsworth called over to me, fighting off his own attacker, “It was either you or him, ma’am!” 

The dog growled before sprinting forward and attacked another approaching enemy. 

I shook off the feeling of fear- I needed a clear head if I was going to survive this fight. I made my way up the street, barricading behind a car, and peeked around the corner to find another target. One was slowly backing his way up towards me, aiming his gun at the top balcony of the museum. I looked to where he was aiming- two men were trying to fight off the attackers from the top floor. I stood up and aimed my pistol towards the closest target. I held my breath and squeezed the trigger. The bullet ripped through the man’s shoulder; he shrieked in pain and stumbled forward. I sent another shot through his spine- he fell to the concrete. 

Three more gunmen ahead of me. The dog ran in and grabbed a lady by the leg and dragged her out of cover as she screamed. The pup pounced on her as the woman tried to fight him off- he ripped at her neck until she succumbed to her wounds. Codsworth floated in, yelling at another gunman like some kind of war cry, before taking his hedge trimming blade and slicing the man down. Holy fuck, Codsworth had some pent up aggression. The last gunman turned and aimed at Codsworth as he was recovering from his last attack. I barely had a thought go through my mind- I raised the gun and shot three times, killing the man. 

I reloaded my clip and walked towards the museum. The two men on the balcony were watching us approach. 

“Well, thank God you showed up,” one of the two guys called down. “Come on up, we might have more Raiders on the way. If you could grab some of that ammo on the ground for us.”

I turned and looked at Codsworth with a shrug before picking up the little yellow cylinders and entering the museum. There were several freshly dead bodies on the ground as we made our way upstairs through the broken-down building. 

The overall-clad guy from the balcony was waiting by the door for us with something of an amused smirk. “Don’t tell me you’re actually a Vault Dweller.” 

I looked down at my vault suit, “um. Yes? I guess?” 

He snickered before turning around and waved two fingers to allow us to follow. “Well, alright. Come in and meet the gang.” 

The other man from the balcony peaked his head around the door as we approached. “Man, I don’t know  _ who  _ you are, but your timing is impeccable. Preston Garvey, Commonwealth Minutemen.” 

“Roxi Andrews. And this is Codsworth, and this is-”

“ _ Dogmeat _ ,” said a woman’s voice from behind Preston. The dog barked happily and trotted over to the old woman. 

“Ah, I guess he’s your dog, then,” I said with some sadness. 

“Oh, no,” the old lady smiled, “Dogmeat here is a free spirit. Looks like he’s decided to follow you now.” 

“That’s Mama Murphy,” Preston said, noticing my confused expression. “This here is Sturges,” he waved towards the overall-wearing guy. “Over there is Jun and Marcy Long. They’re um…” he brought his voice down to a whisper, “grieving the loss of their son. Best to just...leave them alone for a while.” 

I nodded, “I’m sorry to hear that. What are you all doing holed up in a museum for anyway?” 

“We were on our way to a small community just north of here. Maybe you’ve heard of it- Sanctuary.” 

There was a pang in my chest, “yeah. I know it. I...just came from there.” 

“Oh,” his eyes widened, “I didn’t know it was already a settlement.” 

“It’s not- I- um- I just got out of the Vault there.” 

Preston eyed me from head to toe like I just announced that I was contagious. “The Vault? Are there others?” 

Another pang in my chest, “No. I’m the only one. Well...sort of. It’s a long story. It’s a cryo facility and I’m the only one that thawed out.” 

“Oh...I’m sorry to hear that. Did you say,  _ cryo _ facility? Like...pre-war?” 

“Yes,” I sighed heavily. “Listen, I can help you guys get to Sanctuary, but you have to promise that you will leave that vault alone, and make sure no one else disturbs it.”

“Okay,” Preston said, a brightness growing on his face, “I can make that deal.” 

“Supplies there are low.”

“Not a problem,” Sturges piped up, “We have enough to go around for now.”

“Alright. Then let’s get going,” I smiled. 

The group left the museum, Preston and myself taking lead. Sturges was talking to Codsworth about robotics stuff, Mama Murphy hummed to herself, Dogmeat clipped along at my side, and the Longs followed the group at a distance. Preston filled me in on the rough times his group has recently fallen upon, losing members of his Minutemen group and how he was the last one. He admitted to holding onto Sanctuary as his last hope for his group, and his thankfulness that I showed up with Codsworth and Dogmeat in tow. 

We were just about to the Red Rocket when a roar erupted followed by distant screams and gunfire.

“What the fuck was that?” I asked, turning around quickly to scan for the source of the noise.

Preston grabbed my arm and pulled me to continue walking, “Sounded like a Deathclaw. The screams were probably the rest of the Raiders. Trust me, you don’t want to know. We gotta keep going.” 

I gave Codsworth a concerned look, who in turn had one eye on me, one eye forward, and the third pointing backward. “I do say,” he said quiet exacerbated, “I am sure glad we did not befall that fate.” 

“You and me both,” Preston mumbled. 

Throughout the next several weeks, the group began to fix up Sanctuary into something...tangible. We tore down the dilapidated structures and rescued the materials to make patches to the other houses. Sturges and I scavenged for parts and built a generator and water pump to pull water from the river that would distill and purify the water of harsh metals and radioactive fallout. Preston and Codsworth cleared trees for wood and made space for a future Brahmin field- which I learned Brahmin were mutated cows with two heads. Marcy and Jun were put in charge of tilling the land and planting crops where the old playground used to stand. 

Preston and Sturges took me under their wings to teach me how to fight and shoot. We went hunting for Radstags where they helped me learn how to track and aim. We took daily runs from the cul de sac to the Red Rocket station early in the morning. We made a makeshift punching bag full of dirt that I kicked and punched over and over again every night. 

Mama Murphy taught me how to cook in this new radioactive world. I wrote everything down from radroach meat recipes to carrot soup. With her expertise, I was able to make palatable food. She also taught me how to make Molotov Cocktails- out of all the things to be taught by an elderly lady- this was my favorite and most unexpected lesson. 

Preston and I started to venture out to the other settlements that were close by once Sanctuary were fixed up to be livable. We helped the Abernathy’s with some ghouls- which disturbed me to my core. I mistakenly called them zombies when I encountered my first one, which made Preston laugh. Together we fought off ghouls, blood bugs, and the highly mortifying Super Mutant monsters. Each fight we had to undertake, the better I became in the art of staying alive and numbing myself to the violence. In fact, I cried for three days about killing a wild mongrel pack. The others just left me alone for a while because arguing with me about how it could have killed me only upset me further. 

After three months, I found myself sitting in a lawn chair around the cook fires by the old auto body shop with Mama Murphy and the boys. Dogmeat was lying patiently by my side, every once and awhile getting head scratches between my sips of beer. We had Diamond City radio playing from my Pipboy, which sat on the nearby workbench. While everyone joked and carried on as normal, I started to find myself distant. I started thinking about Shaun, and the time that I spent here instead of out looking for him. I tried to tell myself that if I didn’t learn the basics of this wasteland, my chances of surviving were astronomically low. But…maybe I had wasted enough time.

The Diamond City radio host came on, greeted by a disapproving sigh from everyone around the fire. The host was a nervous and weak sounding mess of a man. He took long uncomfortable pauses between songs as he tried to come up with something witty to say. He played some good songs, though. It was better than listening to that classical music station at least. 

“ _ Crawl out through the fallout, baby, when they drop that bomb. Crawl through the fallout with the greatest aplomb… _ ”

“Where’s Diamond City?” I asked, sending an immediate silence through the group. They turned their eyes upon me with the same look of shock.

Preston cleared his throat, “Boston. It’s in the old stadium.” 

I nodded and looked away, returning to my thoughts. 

“Your destiny lies there, kid.” 

I looked around the group, “I’m sorry. What?” 

Mama Murphy shifted in her chair. “The Great Green Jewel of the Commonwealth calls to you. For your nephew. Your destiny starts there.” 

“How…?”

“The sight showed me, kid. Diamond City is where you need to be.” 


	4. Chapter 4

#  **Roxi**

_ March 28th, 2288 _

“Alrighty, Nick,” I said with a stretch, “Need anything else before I head out?” 

“Not right now. You're setting out for Goodneighbor tomorrow, right, kiddo?” 

“Yes, sir,” I smiled and pulled on my leather jacket. “Gotta start on that case as soon as possible.” 

Nick chuckled, “You haven’t quit since you got here. Do you think you’re ever going to stop and take a break?”

“The more to do, the less time to think,” I said on my way out of the detective agency. “Catch ya later.” 

Nick had a point. I worked three jobs in Diamond City and the little free time I had was dedicated to running through the ruins outside of the Wall. Ever since I left Sanctuary I refused to slow down. The more I had to preoccupy my mind meant the less time I would think about the past...the vault...Nate’s frozen body...Nora’s collapsed skeleton…

I shook my head and climbed the stairs to my apartment and unlocked the door. Dogmeat barked happily behind me as I stepped through the threshold. “Hey pupper,” I scratched him behind the ears before allowing him inside. I pulled off my jacket and removed my weapons with a yawn. I had been up at the crack of dawn to help Piper with her morning segment on Diamond City Radio before working a few afternoon hours at the Dugout Inn and then rounded off the evening by helping Nick and Ellie at the agency. Days like today wore me out, designed on purpose to help me slip into unconsciousness at night. 

Tomorrow was bound to be an interesting adventure. Ellie received details on a case in Goodneighbor- one that Nick knew he wouldn’t be able to do. It required some snooping around, and  _ everyone _ knew Nick Valentine, Diamond City’s best (and only) detective. I was fast to fame around the Green Jewel, but it’s not hard when a stranger rolls in, saves the detective from a gang with only a German Shepard, her late brother’s sniper rifle, and a 10mm pistol. If that didn’t have heads turning, it was saving Vadim Bobrov’s stupid ass when he was kidnapped. Or helping Travis get his shit together on the radio. Or even just the fact that I got selected to entering Vault 81 outside of town. The list goes on. But no one knew what Roxi Andrews looked like in Goodneighbor, which was an advantage. Someone might pick up on my voice from being on the  _ Wake Up, Wasteland! _ Morning Show, but I planned on being tight-lipped around the townsfolk.

I went through my nightly routine before retiring to my bedroom. Just the normal stuff-, give the dog food and water, draw up a bath to soak and scrub away the wasteland’s dirt, change into clothes that didn’t smell like sweat, clean and load guns with an unnerving amount of care. As I settled under my covers, Dogmeat jumped up onto the bed and took his normal stop near my feet with a little huff. I laid in bed and stared into the darkness before sleep finally decided to grace me and my overactive imagination. 

Early the next morning, after a night of tossing and turning, I packed up my gear and headed out for Goodneighbor. Dogmeat followed close behind; I had debated on taking him with me, but I ultimately decided that I needed some back up until I got the hang of walking from Diamond City to Goodneighbor. Nick warned me that the area around Goodneighbor was rough; raiders, mutants, ferals, and all sorts of unfriendly freaks...

As Dogmeat and I walked along the still-darkened streets, I couldn’t help but find myself reminiscing. Brandy and I had painted the town red many times before during our college years. We went out to baseball games when we should have been locked away studying. We had visited just about every single restaurant because neither of us wanted to cook our own food. I even walked past our favorite salon, which was now just a heap of crumbled bricks and charred wood. I had so many memories in this town, and not a single one mattered. I was happy to see the church that Nora and Nate married in, but I stayed far away, as it had the look of Super Mutant inhabitants. 

The sun was up by the time we reached Goodneighbor’s boundary. I pulled my white bandana over the bridge of my nose while standing at the door contemplating what the fuck I was getting myself into. The place smelled like rotting garbage and piss; I had to keep Dogmeat from letting his nose wonder towards a pile of trash. Without further hesitation, I opened the door to Goodneighbor, still tugging on Dogmeat’s collar to keep him out of the filth. 

Once inside the gate, I felt eyes on me immediately. My skin crawled; Dogmeat growled. Oh, this was  _ not _ a good neighborhood, leading me to feel the irony of its name in my soul. I rolled my eyes at my own thought. I defensively placed my hand on my pistol, ready to draw it if needed. 

A man casually walked over to me, “Hold up there! First time in Goodneighbor?” He didn’t even give me a chance to answer, “You can’t go walking around without insurance.” 

“The only insurance I need is this gun on my hip,” I said, making sure I drummed my fingers against the pistol. 

“You’re gonna get hurt, talking like that little lady,” The man said, then took a drag on a cigarette he had pinched between his fingers. 

Dogmeat let out a low and threatening growl.

“Woah, woah, woah,” Said a voice from the shadowed alleyway up ahead. “Time out.” The man walked out of the shadows. Well...not a  _ man _ ...but a ghoul, dressed in colonial period clothing. “Someone steps through the gate the first time, they’re a guest. You lay off that extortion crap.”

“What do you care?” The first stranger said, turning and walking towards the intervening ghoul. “She ain’t one of us.” 

“No love for your Mayor, Finn? I said let’em go,” The ghoul growled. 

“You’re soft, Hancock. You keep letting outsiders walk all over us, one day there’ll be a new mayor.” 

The ghoul walked towards Finn, “Come on man, this is me we’re talking about.” He placed his hand on Finn’s shoulder, “let me tell you something-” he pulled a knife from his boot and stabbed Finn in the abdomen several times. Finn grasped at his stomach before falling to the ground, bleeding out. “Now why’d you have to go and say that, huh? You’re breakin’ my heart over here.” Hancock looked to me, “Now I know you had ole’ Finn handled back there, but a mayor gotta make a point sometimes. You all right?” 

“Yeah, I’m alright,” I said, almost with a laugh. 

“Goodneighbor is of the people, for the people, you feel me? Everyone’s welcome.” 

“Yeah, I feel ya.” 

“Good. Now, you wouldn’t happen to be here for Nicky Valentine?” 

“Uh...If I say yes, am I going to end up like this guy?” I nodded towards Finn’s body.

Hancock laughed, “No, you won’t. Come with me, I’ll tell you about the case.”

He the way towards the Old State House, and once at the door, a rough-looking woman opened the door for me. She started me up and down; I tried to make sure not to let her see that she scared the shit out of me. 

Hancock stopped short of the door, “This is my bodyguard, Fahrenheit, dollface. She won’t bite unless I tell her.” He continued inside. 

“Keep that dog on a short leash,” Fahrenheit growled.

“Don’t worry,” I said, trying to tell myself to shut the fuck up before I got myself in trouble, “he only bites if I tell him.”  _ Fuck, you fucking idiot, why? Why can’t you shut up? She could snap your ass in two and you just threatened her with the dog? _

Fahrenheit glared at me even harder, then pointed quickly for me to follow the mayor inside. 

Oof. The State House was looking  _ rough _ . I watched my footing, afraid the floor was going to fall in if I wasn’t careful. Hancock led the way up the spiral staircase and into his, I assumed, meeting room. Two couches were facing one another with a coffee table between them, spread out with a variety of drugs. Hancock flopped down into one of the couches, then motioned for me to sit in the one opposite him. I did so, crossing one leg over the other; Dogmeat automatically laid down on the floor beside me. 

“Tell me, dollface. I wanna know about you. Nick said you were an interesting case yourself. Vault-dweller, right?” 

“I guess that’s what I am.” 

“Pre-war,” He had this smug look on his face, as Nick must have told him more than what I wanted. 

“You’ve done your homework,” I offered. 

“In truth, if it wasn’t Nick coming here, I wanted to know  _ everything  _ Nick had to offer on his partner. I need to know who I’m dealing with before inviting them into my dealings.” 

“Completely understandable.”

“And your name is Roxi. Foxy Roxi,” he smirked. I think I heard Fahrenheit growl from the hallway. “Here’s the case, Roxi. Now, a man in my position has to watch out for his people. And my people are getting sick- some have even died- and we believe someone is poisoning them. I need you to find these guys and bring me their names. Afterward...we’ll discuss what happens next.” 

“Sounds like a plan, Mayor,” I smirked. 

He smiled, “I think I like you, Foxy Roxi. Get me the information I want, and I’ll pay you double what I agreed with Valentine. Start looking around town; the Third Rail is a good place to eavesdrop.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written & edited while listening to:  
> Oblivion- Grimes


	5. Chapter 5

#  **MacCready**

Sitting alone in the corner right beside the end of the bar at the Third Rail, I sighed heavily. From this seat, I could easily see the entire room, with a great view of the staircase to watch everyone that wandered down here. Sometimes I traded the seclusion of the VIP room for a glimpse at the patrons instead. It just serves as entertainment to watch people get wasted until they pass out or pick a fight. But, as a rule, I only talked business in the back.

A lot weighed on my mind- more than the usual. Hancock had let some new gun into town, and I feared they could be taking away from my own profits. If it came down to it...business is business, and in a mercs line of work it’s whoever's head is still attached to their neck to keep the territory. White Chapel Charlie tried to tell me that they were nothing to be worried about. “Business partner of old Nick Valentine,” Charlie told me, “I think you’d like her.” That made it even worse. Everyone in town seemed to know her, but yet I haven’t even laid eyes on her. 

The bar was getting packed; people flooding in before Magnolia started her evening performance. People walked to the bar and ordered their drinks, then took a seat or leaned against a wall. The room was growing louder with chatter and the clinking of glass bottles. 

Charlie floated over to me, “Here she is now, mate. Betta’ take a look for yourself.” 

Walking down the stairs was a chick dressed in black- black leather jacket, pants, gloves with the fingers cut out, boots that came up to her knees. As she walked, she pulled off the black knit hat she was wearing, sending long locks of hair over her shoulders- swirls of...pure white. Half of her face was covered with a white bandana, but as she descended into the bar she slowly pulled it off. She was cute- short and curvy, too. Not at all what I expected of one of Hancock’s girls. There was a sniper rifle over her shoulder, pistol at her thigh, a knife on the other. A few people- mostly guys- called her name,  _ Roxi _ . She looked over with a smirk and a raised eyebrow, sending them only a nod of acknowledgment. Mongolia even hugged her before taking the stage. 

Roxi moved directly to White Chapel Charlie and spoke with him for a few minutes, taking the last stool at the bar. He handed her a drink before moving along down the bar with the other customers. 

“I could arrange an introduction if you’re done gawking at her,” Charlie said as he handed me my second beer. 

“It looks like everyone else already knows her,” I said with an eye roll.

The night passed as uneventful as any other. After Magnolia finished her performance, most people only hung around for a half-hour or so before leaving. Others were still on their way to sleeping in the alleyway after getting thrown out by the security guard, Ham. I tried to keep my stare away from the white-haired newcomer. I didn’t want her to catch me looking, or anyone else for that matter. 

I noticed that she was tinkering with something at the bar with three bottles of beer put out for clean up. She had her sniper rifle resting against the bar with her jacket hanging on it. The guy next to her had tried to talk her ear off all night, she barely acknowledged him. I had to laugh, this guy wouldn’t stop bothering her. It was pathetic to watch. She downed the rest of her beer and handed the thing she was messing with back to Charlie, who was keeping them company. Before she could even hop down from the stool and grab her belongings, the thug was on his feet ready to follow her like a puppy. She gave him a stern look before turning her back on him to leave. 

Maybe I should have done something, said something, but I didn’t. The guy grabbed Roxi’s arm and pulled her backward. She did something to break his grip, I didn’t quite see it from my vantage point. He made another snag at her, but she dodged it. His next step was to lunge at her. She grabbed his wrist and pulled him towards her, hitting his elbow with her free fist and then punched him in the side of the neck. The guy crumbled from pain and otherwise drunkenness. She let him lay on the floor in his pathetic crumbled form as she gathered her things. I tried to keep myself calm and collected, but on the inside, I was howling with laughter.

As she threw the rifle over her shoulder, her eyes snapped directly to mine. I felt heat rush to my face, but I didn’t break the eye contact. She gave me a snarky smirk and a raised eyebrow before pulling up her bandana and walking away. 

It would be another two weeks before she showed back up at the Third Rail. There was something up. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but I could tell by the sheer fact that Hancock and that synth detective from Diamond City were both sitting at the bar. They wouldn’t much glance at each other, but they were talking quietly, covertly. Whitechapel Charlie was in on it too, but I couldn’t even get an answer out of him. The trio didn’t seem to be appreciative of me butting into their conversation. 

Magnolia was singing, acting like her normal self until I noticed that she kept flicking her eyes towards a group of thugs near the stairs. As I looked over the gang of goons, that new merc chick was making her descent into the bar. Even with half of her face covered, she looked pissed. Her piercing gaze could’ve bored a hole through the wall. She didn't even spare a passing glance- just straightforward and looked ready to mess someone's day up. She moved directly to Nick Valentine’s side and immediately served by Whitechapel. 

“Good to see ya, Sunshine,” Hancock smiled her way. 

White-hair pulled off her bandana and took down a shot without even a flinch, “Good evening, Mayor. Lovely night for some exercise.” 

Hancock chuckled, “I suppose it is.” 

“How you wanna do this?” She asked, glancing over to Nick and Hancock. 

“That’s up to you,” Hancock smirked. 

“Fair enough,” Roxi slammed back her second shot. She pulled off her leather jacket; I couldn’t help but notice that she was wearing a tightly fitted black tank top. Not that I was trying to notice...but I mean, come on, it was kind of hard  _ not  _ to stare. She started to wrap her hand up with white bandages. “Nick, I need details.” 

“They’re in the far corner. Six of them in total,” The synth detective said quietly, taking over the job of wrapping her hands. Roxi used a little mirror to look over her shoulder as she pretended to look at her appearance. “Think you can handle it?” 

“Sure thing, boss,” she smirked.

“Try not to get it too messy,” Whitechapel said in passing. Roxi chuckled at that. 

“Ready?” Hancock asked with eagerness. 

Roxi took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and held it for a few seconds. “Ready,” She said after a hard exhale. 

With a snap of Hancock’s fingers, everyone in the bar stood up and pushed everything out of the way. They all lined the bar like a ring- there was no escaping this fight. Ham stood on the stairs just behind the crowd of people blocking the way out. 

Roxi pulled her hair tightly into a ponytail before glancing in my direction. She held my gaze for a few seconds before dropping her eyes and turning around. The thugs in the back were confused, looking around at everyone in the bar and asking each other about what just happened. 

Nick Valentine stepped forward, “The gig is up, Cutter. You’re under arrest for harming the people of Goodneighbor, and countless others, by lacing Jet with arsenic.”

“Oh, yeah?” Cutter, a short little pudgy guy with beady little eyes, said from the protective corner of his five bodyguards. “You think you can take us down, Valentine?” 

“Not me,” Nick mused, “ _ her _ ,” he tilted his head towards Roxi. 

“Finish this,” Cutter said to his men. 

The five thugs stood and lined up like a big human wall around their boss. Roxi moved forward. I got another beer off of Charlie before the fight started- this was either going to be really good or really bad. These guys had at least a foot on her, not to mention weight alone. 

The first guy walked up to Roxi with almost a laugh. He stood out in front of her and put his arms out, “You’re going to fight us?” He said, laughing at her. Roxi clenched her fists. “Alright, sweetheart, you take the first shot. Go ahead, I’ll go easy on you since you gotta fight that old synths battles-” 

Roxi punched the guy so hard in the nuts he stumbled backward before dropping to the ground. 

_ Goddamn! _

That’s when the fight immediately picked up the pace. The four remaining thugs rushed forward. The first one to rush forward clawed the air as he ran towards her like he was trying to grab her. Roxi took hold of one of his extended arms and sidestepped his charge- she twisted his arm around his back and gave a violent tug. There was a loud  _ snap!  _ of the guy’s arm breaking followed by his shrinking of pain. 

By the time Roxi broke the thug’s arm, the next opponent had leveled a revolver at her face. She grabbed the hand holding out the pistol and dodged out of the way of the gun while simultaneously pushing the gunman's arm into the air. He started to fire off shots into the ceiling; Roxi stomped hard on his foot and elbowed him in the gut, still forcing the man’s arm upwards, but when he bent down due to the pain in his foot, he lost his height advantage over her. She disarmed his pistol and cracked him over the head with his gun. He dropped the ground unconscious. 

The next guy had her in his sights- she threw a knife at him which connected right between his eyes. The last thug tried to bail, but Ham grabbed him and threw him onto the ground. Roxi walked over, straddled him, then waylaid a punch so hard he went unconscious. 

The last one standing was Cutter. He tried to grab Roxi by the hair, but she grabbed onto his shoulders and kicked her feet out from under her, nailing him in the gut. She rolled out before he could land on her. She whipped out a pair of handcuffs and strapped them on his wrists. 

The crowd cheered. Ham grabbed Cutter and helped escort him out with Nick following closely behind. Hancock laughed and clasped Roxi on the back as they left the bar. Hancock's henchmen came downstairs to clean up the mess. 

I sat on the edge of my seat in shock, still staring at the spot the fight just happened. Charlie floated over to me and used his robot arm to shut my jaw. 

“You’re going to catch a bloatfly with your mouth if you keep it open like that,” Charlie said before floating back to the bar. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written & edited while listening to:  
> Underground- Lindsey Stirling  
> Blinding Light- The Weeknd  
> Illegal- Hyper Crush


	6. Chapter 6

#  **MacCready**

“ _ Wake up, Wasteland! It’s Piper and Roxi coming at you live from Diamond City Radio. It’s Friday, May 4th, 2288, and lookin’ like the start of a beautiful day.”  _

_ “And by beautiful, I think Piper means not raining with radiation storms brewing, right?”  _

_ “Well, not yet! Haha!”  _

I woke up to the broadcast every morning because this radio was busted and I couldn’t get the alarm function reset. Hearing Roxi’s voice set my teeth on edge. I hadn’t the slightest clue why she bothered me so much. I shut the radio off before turning over in bed, back to the silence and my hangover headache. She hadn’t returned to Goodneighbor since taking down Cutter’s gang for Hancock. Good- with her job finished, maybe she wouldn’t come back. Things could go back to normal, and I wouldn’t have to keep worrying about finding the white-hairs knife in my back. 

My headache eased up enough that I could see straight by the late afternoon. I got myself out of bed and sucked down a carton of clean water, wiped myself down with a wet washcloth, and then dressed for the night. I walked myself out of the Hotel Rexford and down to the Third Rail. There were a few early birds already sitting around the bar, but the crowd would pick up as the night grew dark. I bought a noodle cup off of Charlie and moved to the VIP section. I slurped up the noodles before lying down on a couch, waiting for someone that required my expertise. 

I must have fallen asleep, woken up by a loud crowd in the bar. I rolled myself off the couch and walked down the hall.  _ Ugh _ , white-hair was sitting at the bar chatting away with Mongolia. I tried to keep my attention away from her as I walked to the bar and got another noodle cup and a beer off of Charlie. I sat down in my normal corner, my mood soured with white-hair mingling about the room. Mongolia took the stage, silencing the crowd as the music kicked up for “Baby it’s Just You.” 

My eyes flicked up to the stairs to find two Gunners descending into the bar. Winlock and Barnes. _Great_. I stood up and walked to the VIP section, knowing they would be close behind. At least having this conversation in private would keep more bad rumors about me from flying around the Commonwealth. 

The two Gunners followed me to the backroom, blocking the exit. Winlock looked ever so smug as he approached me. Barnes looked ready for a fight, glaring at me with his big, stupid eyes. 

“Can’t say I’m surprised to find you in a dump like this, MacCready.” 

“I was wondering how long it would take your bloodhounds to track me down, Winlock. It’s been almost three months...don’t tell me you’re getting rusty. Should we take this outside?” 

“It ain’t like that,” Winlock said, sounding almost disappointed. “I’m just here to deliver a message.”

I took a step closer, “In case you forgot, I left the Gunners for good.”

“Yeah, I heard. But your  _ still _ taking jobs in the Commonwealth. That isn’t going to work for us.” 

“I don’t take orders from you...not anymore. So why don’t you take your girlfriend and walk out of here while you still can.”

Barnes shook his head like he had just been slapped across the face, “ _ What?! _ Winlock, tell me we don’t have to listen to this shit.” 

“Listen up, MacCready,” Winlock said with a growl, “The only reason why we haven’t filled your body with lead is because we don’t want a war with Goodneighbor. See? We  _ respect _ other people’s boundaries.  _ We  _ know how to play the game. It’s something  _ you  _ never learned.” 

“Glad to have disappointed you.” 

Winlock chuckled mockingly, “You can play the tough guy all you want. But if we hear that you’re still operating in Gunner territory, all bets are off. You got that?” 

“You finished?” I rolled my eyes. 

“Yeah. We’re finished. Come on, Barnes,” Winlock said before the pair turned and left. 

I watched the two Gunners leave, making sure they were out of earshot before I let out a heavy sigh. My heart was pounding. Things could have gone very different with those two, and I knew that I needed to watch my back. I heard footsteps come into the room. I snapped my eyes forward, expecting that the Gunners had changed their minds, that they were going to take me out instead of offering an ultimatum. But instead, I found white-hair leaning against the wall, looking at me with a raised eyebrow. 

“Oh, it’s  _ you _ ,” I said, trying to hide my relief behind sarcasm. 

She glanced down the hall before looking back at me, “You alright?” 

“I’m fine,” I said, quickly trying to dismiss her. She eyed me up and down, knowing all too well that things weren’t fine. “What do you want?” 

She shrugged her shoulders and inspected her nails, “I have a proposition for you.” 

“What?” 

“I’m headhunting a group of thugs,” She looked into my eyes, sending a chill down my spine- there was a darkness in her hazel eyes that I never noticed until now. “The man in charge is known as Big Dave. I need someone who knows the city and knows how to fire a gun. I need you to travel with me to help hunt down this guy.” 

“I can help, but it’ll cost ya.” 

“How much?” She said, never losing her tone of confidence. 

“250 caps, upfront.” 

She huffed a laugh before tossing a tied velvet bag towards me. I caught it- the metallic sound of caps was music to my ears. But the weight of the bag told me there was more money than what I had asked. She must have noticed my confusion and cleared her throat. I looked up to her, meeting her eyes again.

“Asking price, tax, tip, and ammo replenishment funds,” She smirked before walking away. 

I stood there, stunned. There had to be close to a thousand caps in this bag, and she tossed them over like they meant nothing to her. Part of me wanted to just pocket this and never say a word, but the other part of me thought she was insane. 

I took off down the hall, catching Roxi before she stepped back into the open bar. “Do you understand how much you handed me?”

She turned and looked at me fully, “yes. I do.” 

“This is... _ what?  _ Lady, what game are you playing?” 

“No game. This isn’t your normal headhunt. And I think the amount I gave you is fair enough.” She stood there, completely stone-faced, while I stood there still gasping at the heavy bag in my hand. “You know, I’m surprised you’re even questioning this.” 

“You didn’t steal this from anyone, right?” I asked, and she laughed. Not just a chuckle, but a full-hearted laugh that raised goosebumps on my arms. 

“No,” She said with a smile, still laughing a little bit. “I work  _ several  _ jobs.”

“But…” 

“Stop questioning it, MacCready. Now get out here so I can buy you a drink. You look like you could use it. And quit waving that bag around before someone gets the idea of stealing it.” 

Fast friends. That’s what everyone called us. We took down Big Dave and his gang within three days of teaming up. We took down Winlock and Barnes of the Gunners three weeks later. We had a steady flow of caps with new work coming in all across the city. Mostly taking out raiders or ferals, but caps were caps and I needed as much as I could get. Roxi and I split our profits evenly, collected supplies equally, and bought our ammo separately. It was a good arrangement. 

In only a month, Roxi earned my trust and respect. Hell, I watched her run straight towards an Assaultron, taking it down by hacking it and rendering it useless. She was my friend, but I feared what would happen if I crossed her. She had charm, good aim, and good taste in liquor. She was a little too smart, though. She reminded me of the eggheads in the Capital Wasteland when she started talking about all that science stuff and tinkering around with old junk. She fixed the alarm on my piece of junk radio, which was cool, but the stuff she went on about was over my head. And sometimes she could be too nice to people, which I guess isn't a bad thing, but it gets a little annoying. It wasn’t my normal way of making money, but she thrived off of helping out people without asking for a reward. But at the end of the day, they always gave out a reward, whether it was something we could use or sell or just straight-up caps. Otherwise, she was a decent partner to travel with, easy to look at and quick with a joke. I didn’t mind.

When we weren’t headhunting, we were boozing. Either we were at the Third Rail partying or I was getting drunk while Roxi was pouring drinks at the Dugout Inn. 

“Hey, you know what we should do when you get off work?” I asked after finishing my third beer. 

Roxi eyed me suspiciously, “What’s that, ‘Cready?” 

“I know a place where we can watch fights.” 

“Uh- _ huh _ ,” she said with a snicker while wiping down the bar. “And this is a great idea... _ why _ ?” 

“Because we can  _ watch fights _ . And I’m buzzed. And it sounds like fun.” 

She rolled her eyes, “fine. But I’m cutting you off. I’m not having you shit-faced leading me to someplace we aren’t welcome.” 

“Deal.”

We grabbed our gear and left Diamond City just as the sun started to set. I led the way through the city, knowing Roxi was silently cursing this idea. We made it to the theater district, where Roxi stopped short of the building and stared at it. 

“Someone turned the Orpheum Theater into the  _ Combat  _ Zone? Are you fucking kidding me?” Roxi mumbled to herself. “And for fuck sake, ‘Cready. It looks like the Raiders are in charge around here.”

“It wasn’t ever Raider inclusive before,” I said rolling my eyes at her. “Let’s go in and see.” 

Roxi stared at me in disbelief before rolling her eyes, “After you. But I swear to God, ‘Cready, if they start firing away I’m turning around and leaving.” 

The guard on duty had fallen asleep with a bottle of whiskey in his hand, so we let ourselves inside. It was most definitely taken over by Raiders, we knew it the moment we walked into the theater. Almost instantly, we were getting shot at by the gang members inside. Roxi jumped into action, finding cover and pulling out her pistol. I followed closely behind, pulling off my sniper rifle, firing at an oncoming Raider and dropping him. 

“I thought you said you were going to turn around and leave if they started firing, Roxi,” I shouted over the gunfire. 

“Fuck off, ‘Cready,” Roxi yelled before firing a round into a psycho-infused Raider with a sharpened pool cue. 

There were at least twenty raiders. Slowly we took them down, picking them off one by one. Roxi was able to pacify a few that had enough sense to surrender and run away instead of dying. When the dust cleared, we walked towards the stage, where the owner was pacing nervously around. He had his one fighter with him, who had a hand on her hip watching her boss have a mental breakdown. Roxi took point, lowering her gun and showing the pair that we meant no harm.

“I’m not sure if I should kiss you, or have my little bird here feed you your own entrails.” The boss said- a ghoul. 

“I told you to quit callin’ me that!” The fighter lady said with a thick accent. 

“Sorry for all the trouble,” Roxi said softly. “My friend here thought it’d be a good idea to come down and watch the fights. We didn’t know this place was...uh... _ Raider exclusive _ .”

“Ah, I see,” the ghoul man said. “It never used to be until recently. I kept those bastards at bay by entertaining them and in return, they let us live. But, it doesn’t matter now.” 

“More will come,” The fighter lady said, “I just need a quick breather and I’ll be ready to go.” 

“‘A quick breather?’ What? So you can slam some more junk into your arm? No, no, no. You know what, I think this was a blessing in disguise.  _ Say _ . Why don’t you guys pick up Cait’s contract? She can be like a...uh... _ bodyguard _ of sorts.” 

“ _ Me _ ?” Cait shouted, “And  _ her _ ? Don’t I get a say in all this, Tommy?”

“Little bird, we’re out of business,” Tommy spun around and faced Cait fully. “I can’t pay you if we’re out of business. I can’t take  _ care  _ of you. You’re a liability. I’m  _ trying  _ to do you a favor, Cait.” 

Roxi held her hands out in front of her, stepping in between the two to diffuse the situation. “Guys, let’s not lose our heads here. Tommy, was it? Okay, Tommy. I don’t so much like this talk of  _ contracts _ . It sounds like slavery on paper. Cait, I can offer you a chance to work at the Dugout Inn in Diamond City as a bartender. The pay is decent. You get to keep all of the tips you make. If people cause trouble you can rough them up and throw them out. ‘Cready and I can take you over there tonight and get you set up in a room. The only payment in return that I will ask is to start coming off of the chems.” 

Cait huffed and looked at Tommy with a mix of sadness and anger. “And what if I don’t?” 

“That’s up to you, then,” Roxi said softly. “I’m giving you an option that will put a roof over your head and caps in your pockets. I can almost guarantee that if you don’t spend your caps on drugs, you will have enough money in two months to get an apartment in their new complex. The choice is yours.” 

“What makes you think they’ll hire me?” Cait spat. 

Roxi chuckled, “the owners owe me a lifetime of favors. Plus, I think they’ll like your attitude, and so will the customers.” 

Cait shifted her weight from foot to foot for a few seconds before grunting in frustration. “ _ Fine _ . I’ll see ya around, Tommy.” 

The three of us took off after Cait packed up her belongings. Roxi gave formal introductions and promised Cait that what she had said earlier was the truth. Cait seemed to be defensive and reserved, uncomfortable with being thrown into a new life with strangers.

We exited the theater when Roxi suddenly stopped and pointed up ahead. 

“There’s that guy!” Roxi yelled and took off running. 

I rolled my eyes towards Cait before running after Roxi. Cait, confused and shouting at both of us, began running along behind. Roxi was gaining on the guy- we had noticed he was stalking her in Goodneighbor and Diamond City for several weeks now. It was creepy. She reached out her arm and grabbed the guy’s shoulder, forcing him backward and onto the ground. 

Roxi pinned him down, “Why have you been following me?” 

The guy was squirming underneath her, trying to laugh as he spoke, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

“You’re lying. I know it was you. Goodneighbor- trying to look like a drifter. Diamond City- trying to act like a guard. And now you’re here. What gives?”

“Look, okay, okay, okay, let me up and we’ll talk.” 

Roxi took a moment, “fine.” She stood up and offered the spy a hand up as well. “What’s your name?”

“Deacon,” He said, catching his breath. 

“Why are you spying on me?” 

“I’m...with a group that might be interested in recruiting you.” 

“Institute spy?” She looked him up and down with disgust. 

“No, not the Institute. We are  _ very  _ much anti-Institute.” 

Roxi's eyebrows knit together, she put her hands on her waist and tapped a foot in deep thought. “Alright,” She said, relaxing. “Want to go get a beer in Diamond City with us?” 

My mouth dropped open, “Roxi, are you  _ serious _ ? This guy has been following you around for weeks and you offer to go  _ get a beer _ together? Are you that  _ touch starved _ ?” 

Roxi turned to me, “okay- first off, rude. Second of all, this guy has had  _ several  _ chances to go ahead and take a swipe at me for the past few weeks and hasn’t acted upon it. Either he is a  _ really  _ shitty shot, or he wants me alive to discuss this recruitment stuff. And, right now it’s three against one so his odds aren’t very good.  _ And _ if he’s leading us into an ambush, we’ll just put a gun to his head, and if he’s important they’ll drop their weapons. So, I would  _ much  _ rather discuss details in a loud and crowded bar in the middle of Diamond City, where if anyone pulled a weapon on  _ me _ , they would have twenty pointing back at them. Makes sense to everyone, right?” She looked at everyone, even Deacon the spy, who agreed with her. “Good. Now, let’s get out of this open area before someone  _ does  _ try to put a bullet in my skull.” 

The four of us traveled back to Diamond City unscathed. Deacon wouldn’t shut up while Cait stayed quiet the entire trip. Roxi led us into the city, as anyone in her posse would be welcomed into the gates with just one of her masterful smirks and a wink to a guard, and directly to the Dugout Inn. She was welcomed to the bar with a chorus of cheers, the loudest being the Vadim. It was almost sickening how much these people loved Roxi. She didn’t seem to mind, giving a single wave of her hand and everyone was content with her acknowledgment. 

Roxi spun around on her toes, “Cready, take the table in the far corner with our two new friends here. I’m going to talk to the owners.” She spun around again and walked off. 

I rolled my eyes before leading the two newcomers to Roxi’s favorite table. 

I watched Roxi as she spoke to the two owners, who looked over her towards Cait. They nodded their heads, pointed to me, and signaled for the redhead. 

“Hey, the owners want to talk to you,” I said nudging Cait. 

She glared at me before getting up and walking to the meeting. 

I slouched back into my chair, trying to get the weight off of my sore feet. Deacon was bobbing his head to the blaring music from Diamond City radio. I rolled my eyes and waved over the waitress to order a beer. Deacon ordered one as well. Roxi walked over with Cait, a shot of vodka in each hand and a smile on her face. Cait had the same look of discomfort as she had since leaving the Combat Zone, but at least she had a bottle of moonshine in her hand. 

“So, Cait here is going to join the crew as a full-time bartender. Yadim  _ loved _ her sass,” Roxi smirked before taking down both of her shots. 

Cait rolled her eyes, “ _ Yeah. _ Well as long as it’s going to put caps in my pockets.” 

“Here, here,” I said, clinking my bottle against hers. 

Cait smirked and took a deep drink. 

“Alright, Deacon. Let’s talk,” Roxi said, leaning back in her chair. 

I watched Roxi for the next hour chatting away with Deacon like they were old pals. He didn’t give much up about his little group of spies, but he somehow got Roxi to laugh with his stories. He did tell her that they would not intervene with her plans, but they liked her skills and would offer her a position in their group if she wanted. She declined, wanting to know more about the group and himself before signing onto anything. Deacon understood completely and dropped the subject. Cait joined in on the conversation, slowly growing to like Roxi by the end of the night. 

I sat there, quietly, even when Roxi tried to pull me into the conversation. Something was weighing on my mind and I didn’t care about what the others were discussing. My mind became darker with each beer I sucked down. The more laughter Roxi, Deacon, and Cait shared, the lonelier I felt. I pulled out the wooden carving from my pocket under the table, holding it in my hand and tracing it with my thumb. There was an ache in my chest. I stood up and left the table, and wobbled over to the other owner, I didn’t know his name, to rent a room for the night. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My apologies if this chapter seems a little lackluster. There is a lot going on in my personal life, but I wanted to post this regardless.
> 
> This chapter was written and edited to the following:   
> Baby it's Just You- Lynda Carter  
> Those Kind of Nights- Eminem (feat Ed Sheeran)  
> All Good Girls Go to Hell- Billie Eilish  
> Everything I Wanted- Billie Eilish  
> Blue Suede Shoes- Elvis Presley  
> Cheek to Cheek- Frank Sinatra


	7. Chapter 7

#  **Roxi**

I leaned in the doorway of Cready’s room, watching him as he slept off his drunkenness from last night. Part of me wanted to leave him here, but the other part of me didn’t want to make the long trip north with just Dogmeat. Cready was decent company and all, but I could only imagine what he’d have to say after meeting my friends back in Sanctuary. 

As I watched him sleep, I felt a twisting in my chest that normally came with a long moment of contemplation. Since starting our partnership, this sensation would come and leave me puzzled with the same question: how much did I like RJ MacCready? As friends? Yes, we made a good team and he matched my level of sarcasm. But...did I like him more than just a friend? Or was he right when he called me touch starved after meeting Deacon? He had nice blue eyes that lit up the rare occasion that he actually smiled. He was quick with a joke or a remark that made me snicker and roll my eyes. We’ve had long talks on our travels. But, he did like to drag my skills in science because it was out of his realm. And if it was out of MacCready’s comfort zone, there was no need for it in his life. I shook the thought from my head, trying to keep myself as seeing this relationship as completely professional.

“Cready,” I called out. He let out a snort and mumbled something incoherent before turning over onto his stomach. “ _ Cready _ !” I yelled, which startled him out of his sleep. 

He stared at me with wide eyes, “ _ Huh _ ? What time is it?”

“It’s almost nine.” 

“ _ Ugh _ , whatever.  _ What  _ do you  _ want _ ?”

“I’m going back home.”

“ _ Home _ ? I thought this was your  _ home _ ,” he whined. 

“ _ Sanctuary _ ,” I rolled my eyes. “Do you want to come or not?” 

Cready let out a loud groan, which ultimately was him saying  _ why yes, I’ll accompany you on your long journey home, my friend _ in the most uncivilized manner possible. 

We were packed up and out of Diamond City by ten o’clock, Dogmeat happily trotting along beside me. I planned to get to the old Sunshine Tradings Co-Op by nightfall, then leave from there to Sanctuary the following morning. It was about time that I checked in on the settlers there, anyway. As we left town, I made a detour to walk through Cambridge. We walked along the ruins of CIT; I stopped and examined the rubble that used to house my classes. As much as I dreaded my time at school, I now felt an emptiness in my chest looking at the dilapidated marble and stone. 

“So, you really went to school here, huh?” Cready said, staring at the rubble with pity in his eyes. 

“Yeah,” I sighed heavily, “two hundred years ago.” 

“ _ Yeah _ , that still freaks me out, ya know?” 

I rolled my eyes, “Right. Sorry.” Out of his realm, out of his comfort zone. 

I turned without another glance towards the college and walked onwards. We passed the empty police station and crossed through a valley of dead ferals that was once the hub of college kid activity. Onwards to the north, where it all began. 

The entire trip was made in almost complete silence, besides me calling Dogmeat to stop sniffing and catch up every few miles. I was surprised, as I expected Cready to have a slew of questions about Deacon and Cait. Something was bothering him, more than just his normal hangover headache. I didn’t want to pry, figuring it wouldn’t be a nice traveling conversation, and bringing up the fact would only make him brood more. 

By nightfall, we came upon the guarded fence line for the Sunshine Tradings Settlement. I waved to the woman on duty- her name was Rosa, she was one of the first settlers to help kick off this plot. She gave me a large hug and ushered me up the hill and into their little farming community. 

“We have about twenty people now,” Rosa smiled. 

“That’s wonderful! And I see that the windmills are producing a decent amount of energy for you all.” 

Rosa showed us to their guest house, which doubled as the medical ward when necessary. Cready changed clothes and fell asleep within ten minutes. I, on the other hand, changed my clothes and pulled out my  _ Nuclear Sciences III _ textbook to read in the light of my Pip-boy. Dogmeat jumped up on the unoccupied bed that separated Cready’s and my own, making himself comfortable with a yawn.

I woke the next morning to Dogmeat pawing at my arm. I found my textbook over my head, open to the same page I had started on, and my Pip-Boy on the ground with the light turned off. Cready was still sound asleep. I rolled myself out of bed and opened the front door to let the pup out, breathing in the dewy morning air. 

The people of the settlement were stepping out of their homes and off to work. The night guards waved friendly hellos to their replacements on their way to bed. I watched as Dogmeat sniffed around the houses, greeting people as he passed them with a tail wag. This little settlement was so quiet compared to Diamond City. I had to laugh at myself, thinking about how I use to compare my hometown of Punxsutany to Boston when they shouldn't even be put in the same category. 

Once Cready was awake and moving, we ate a small breakfast before heading out to finish our trip. It was made in silence, as my mind turned over and over with my undetermined feelings. As we approached the final few miles of our journey, I had come up with a plan. 

“Hey,” I said, turning to face my companion, “When we get to town, you can either grab a room in the motel or you can stay at my place. I only have one bed though, so we’d have to share.” My heart slammed in my chest, but somehow I stayed nonchalant through my entire sentence. 

His face twisted up with an expression of disgust, “ _ ugh _ . I’ll stay at the motel.” 

Ouch, looks like I had my answer. “Alright, cool,” I turned myself around and swallowed my pride for the rest of the trip.

As we crossed the bridge into Sanctuary, several guards lined the wall that surrounded the town, and every single one had their watchful eyes upon the incoming travelers. I was about halfway over the bridge when a voice called out from the watchtower. 

“Well, it’s about time you came back!” 

Preston Garvey. He ran from the tower and opened the gates as we approached. He had his arms outstretched for a hug, which I obliged, but his eyes were fixated behind me and on Cready. Dogmeat barked happily towards Preston, looking for some scratches and belly rubs from his old pal.

“Who’s your friend?” He asked, eyes piercing through my companion as he gave Dogmeat his well-deserved pets. 

“Preston, this is RJ MacCready, Cready, this is Preston Garvey of the Minutemen.” 

“The Minutemen?” Cready scoffed. Oh  _ no _ , we haven’t even gotten through the gate and he’s already going to start shit. “Thought you guys were through after what happened at Quincy.”

“Not all of us abandoned the cause,” Preston said, straightening himself before turning back to me. “Where’d you find this one?” 

“Goodneighbor. Anyway, we have some catching up to do,” I smiled, trying my damndest to defuse the situation and move along. “Cready, the motel is the first building on the left. You can make arrangements there while I catch up with Preston.” 

Cready shrugged off towards the motel, which was a two-story building we constructed from scrap that housed six small bedrooms. Most of the tenets of the motel were traders, but every so often a traveler would pass by and take shelter for the night or hide from the radiation storms. It was the last project I helped the team build before taking off for Diamond City. Once Cready was out of earshot, Preston crossed his arms and looked me up and down. 

“ _ So _ , you have a boyfriend now?” 

I rolled my eyes, “God, no. You know, I offered him to stay with me at my place but he wanted the motel. Like, am I  _ that _ ugly that he didn’t want to share a king-sized bed with me?”

Preston laughed, “What an idiot. Anyway...what’s bringing you back for a visit?” 

“I wanted to check on Curie, actually. See how’s she’s adjusting to things.” 

He smiled, “She’s doing  _ great _ . Here comes your friend, by the way.” 

Cready was walking with the same annoyed look on his face that he’s had since leaving Diamond City, hands shoved in his pockets and mouth pulled up in a sneer. I shrugged my shoulders to Preston and began our walk through Sanctuary. There were so many people here now. Every home, both old and newly constructed, housed extended families. The crop fields were well established. According to Preston, every guard post was filled on both day and night shifts. The guard team had enough of a pool of settlers to have a replacement if someone fell ill or were injured. They established a general store in an old pre-war home near the motel that sold everything from overproduced crops, guns, ammo, and even armor. Near the cul de sac, a newly built cabin was the local bar and grill called  _ Penelope’s Pub _ .

As we passed the old mechanic shop, which was now Sturges home base of the settlement’s maintenance team and tinkering workroom, I happened to catch a passing glance of Curie sitting on a stool at the workbench, working vigorously away at something. I tapped Preston on the shoulder and pointed to her, just to confirm that I wasn’t mistaken. He smiled and nodded his head. 

I started to walk towards the machine shop. “Curie!” I called out, unable to hold back my excitement. 

She snapped her head up from her project, looking for the voice that called her name. “Yes?” She asked, startled, before turning to see me approaching. “ _ Roxi _ ! It is  _ you _ !” She stood and ran towards me, throwing her arms around me. “Ah! My friend! It is so good to see you!” 

“How are you? How are you adjusting to the two-legged life?” I said, pulling from the hug but grasping her hands. 

“Ah, never better! I have learned so many new things about the human way of life!” 

Curie started to list all of the things that she learned that was common knowledge to humans. Everything from eating and bowel movements, to injuring herself and learning how to “make repairs.” As she went through her index of new adventures, Sturges stepped out from the mechanic shop wiping his hands on a towel to see what the commotion was all about. He approached Curie from behind, putting an arm around her waist which made her jump and blush.

“Hey, Rox,” He smiled. 

“What’s up, Sturges?” I smirked and nodded my head towards Curie, “I see you two are getting along.”

“Ah!” Curie said excitedly and placed her hands on Sturges’ shoulder. “I have also learned about the feeling you call  _ love _ . It is so exciting!” 

Sturges was blushing, “Well, that’s one way to tell her,” he said to Curie. He looked at me and said, “Since Codsworth brought Curie back here after her surgery, I took over in helping her get adjusted to her new life. And...we just seemed to connect. I don’t care that she’s a synth,” he straightened himself as if expecting rejection, “But I couldn’t help but fall for this little genius.”

Curie gave the smallest of giggles with a beaming expression. “You helped me get into this new body, into this new  _ world _ , Roxi. But Sturges helped me settle into being my new self.” 

“That’s amazing,” I said, looking at them with such overwhelming joy in my chest. “I’m so happy for you two.” 

“Thanks, Rox,” Sturges smiled and pulled Curie tighter. “It’s funny how things work out, ain’t it? Curie here is on the settlement’s maintenance team, and with her smarts we got the electrical issues figured out. She’s also helping set up the medical clinic with the new doc in town.” 

I smiled, “That’s fantastic. I’m hoping I can be around more often.” 

“Any lead on your nephew?” Sturges asked. I could feel Preston inch closer to join the conversation.

I took a deep breath, knowing that I’ve let myself stray from my path. How do I tell them that I failed? That I gave up? How do I face the disappointment in their eyes when I tell them the truth? I didn’t even bring it up to Cready about my nephew. I’m sure this conversation would grab his attention. 

“I...uh...I’ve hit a dead end.” I sighed, dropping my eyes from my friends. “All signs are pointing to the Institute. But...we can’t find a lead on where to even  _ look _ for the Institute. I’ve been working with Nick Valentine, who is an Institute synth himself, and  _ he  _ doesn’t even know where they are.”

There was a collective sigh from everyone in the conversation circle. 

“Well, don’t give up,” Cready said from behind. I turned to look at him; his expression had changed from annoyed to concerned. “That’s the worst thing you can do- to give up on him.” 

“You’re right, Cready. I shouldn’t give up. But this is a different kind of hunt- I’m hunting the invisible.” 

Later that evening, Preston, Sturges, Curie, and I all met at the Pub for dinner and drinks. The food was great- I had the most tender Brahmin steak, a side of corn, and a  _ cold _ Nuka Cola (Curie and Sturges refurbished refrigerator into working condition for the owners). We sat around and chatted for a few hours. Preston was first to leave as he had to get some rest for his guard shift in the morning. Sturges and Curie left about half an hour later, and I’m sure with the amount of canoodling they were doing, they weren’t going to bed for a while. 

I sipped on a beer, listening to the radio broadcast from Diamond City Radio playing “Crazy He Calls Me.” The song only added to the melancholy ache that had started building in my chest watching Sturges and Curie be so deeply in love. I felt myself going to that dark place in the back of my mind, drifting from reality and into the world of anxiety and depression.

I thought back to my last horrible love story before the bombs obliterated the nation. How that prick Andrew cheated on me with a blonde girl, super fit, and much prettier than I. It wasn’t her fault, she was just as mad at him when I called him out, even throwing her drink on him. I never had a chance to cope with it, since that Saturday I was thrown into a pod and frozen for two hundred years.

Now...in this world, I felt that I would never find someone to love me the way Sturges and Curie loved one another. For a hot second, I thought maybe MacCready would be a good suitor. But no, I confirmed that today. I let out a heavy sigh before taking a big swig of my beer. 

“Can I ask you for a favor?” Cready asked, eyes downcast to his hands.

“Shoot,” I shrugged. That’s all I was good for in this world was fulfilling other people’s favors. 

“Well...let me tell you a little background first. I...I have a son in the Capital Wasteland. He’s sick. His mother passed away. He’s living with his grandparents. One day he was fine...and then the next he was covered in blue boils and fevered. The doctors there hadn’t a clue what was wrong with him. That’s why I came here to the Commonwealth. The reason why I’m saying this...is because you mentioned about your nephew and how you’ve hit a dead end. Well...I know where there might be a cure for my son, and I’ve hit a dead-end, too. I think you’re my best chance of getting this cure?”

I eyed him suspiciously, “What do you need me to do?” 

“We need to get into Med-Tek Research. I have all the codes, but I need an extra gun on my side.” 

“Why? What’s in there that needs so much firepower?” 

“Ferals. Lots of ferals.” 

I chugged the rest of my beer and sighed heavily. “Alright, Cready. Let’s head out tomorrow.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was written and edited to:
> 
> Ophelia- The Lumineers  
> Through The Ghost- Shinedown  
> Awakening- Taylor Davis  
> Blue Monday- Health  
> Professional Griefers- deadmau5 feat. Gerard Way  
> Crazy He Calls Me- Billie Holiday


	8. Chapter 8

#  **Roxi**

I sat at the top of an old pine tree with Cready’s binoculars as the sun started to peek over the horizon, looking over Med-Tek Research. He wasn’t kidding when he said this place was infested with ferals; there were at least ten shuffling about the parking lot. There were three abandoned cars still intact and not burnt out. If the car fusion cores weren’t already drained or stolen, it gave me an attack advantage. 

“What do you see?” Cready called up. He only climbed halfway up the tree before sitting on a branch and refused to budge. 

“Friendly ferals, of course.” I put the strap of the binoculars around my neck and pulled a grenade from one of my utility pockets. 

“Hey,  _ uh _ , Roxi? What...whatcha got there?” 

I pulled the pin of the grenade and threw it- with as much force I could muster, into the parking lot. The grenade blew- causing a chain reaction of explosions with the cars and sending the parking lot into a fiery blaze. The ferals thrashed around before succumbing to the fire. 

“Alright,” I called down to Cready as I started my descent, “We’re clear.” 

He looked at me with wide eyes as I made it to his branch, “I’m letting you take lead.”

I laughed, “Of course you are.” 

We entered the lobby of Med-Tek, which was entirely too quiet. I turned on the light to my Pip-Boy and started scanning the lobby. I found a terminal without any useful information on it, only flashing a warning about the building being in lockdown. I motioned for Cready to follow, our guns at the ready for any surprise attackers. We followed the hallway, unable to gain elevator access, and stumbled upon a decontamination chamber. 

“Why would they need this?” I asked out loud, trying to get into the computer hooked up to the chamber. 

“Who knows. These eggheads were apparently big into chems back in  _ your  _ day.” 

I hummed with disapproval, both at the mention of chems and also at the computer for being locked up. “You wouldn’t happen to have a map of this place, would ya?” 

“Nope,” Cready shrugged, “just the password for the executive terminal.” 

I started to walk into the bathroom to our left, “Welp. Time to start exploring.” 

We moved through the wreckage of the building. We fought off the ferals that showed themselves while trying to keep our footing in the disarray. It took us an hour to find the terminal we needed, to which Cready nervously handed me the piece of paper with the password written down. 

“I sure hope this works,” he muttered while looking over my shoulder as I worked with the computer. 

I disengaged the building’s lockdown and fished through the documents left on the system. The files discussed their drug sales that they were handing off to kids, the new preventive agent the company manufactured, and statistics on their “test subjects.” I was grinding my teeth by the end of my digging. 

“These assholes are the reason we had to undergo random drug testing in college,” I said standing up from the chair. “Several kids in my class were removed from our program for the Mentats Med-Tek put out because they’re known to increase intelligence while high. The college refused to push students through the system when they were choosing to go under the influence to help them academically. Who’s to say they wouldn’t use it in the field and cause a catastrophic error? Or better yet, why would the school allow someone who faked their way to the top?”

“Med-Tek produced Chems? Why?” Cready asked, watching me as I paced the room. 

“To get people addicted and then jack up the prices, producing a profit.” I nodded my head towards the exit, ushering us to continue our adventure. “And from what I’m reading, they were producing a reversal and a preventive to addiction- what you’re calling the cure. I’m guessing what your son has come down with was actually a manufactured bio-virus.” I turned around to face Cready, walking backward, “Your savior is also your enemy.”

Cready’s face was twisted up in disgust, “Unbelievable.” 

I turned back around and started my descent downstairs, “It’s inhumane. And I’m sure once we go through this decontamination chamber, you’re going to see proof of that.” 

This time I had success with the terminal to the decontamination chamber, opening the doors and taking lead through the threshold. Once on the other side, I flung myself over a desk on my left before the online turrets had a chance to start shooting. I hacked the terminal on the desk, deactivating the turrets and unlocking the maglocks on the doors further down the hall. Cready slowly entered the room, pointing his gun at the turrets in case the computer command didn’t correctly code. 

We followed the doors and hallways, killing off the ferals that jumped out at us. Some ferals were locked away in cells, which Cready finally started to come to terms with what I was describing earlier- inhumane treatment of their human lab rats. We found a few Stimpaks and Rad-X in one of the labs, which we grabbed and packed away for safekeeping and lots and lots of mental-altering Chems. 

At the end of the hall was an elevator- I groaned inwardly and hit the call button. I hated elevators now. There was nothing more unsettling than climbing into a box surrounded by concrete in a war-ridden building, hooked to chains that were more likely rusted, of which were over two-hundred years old and way past their inspection dates. The elevator doors opened; I took a deep breath and stepped inside, going straight to the back and gripping onto the handrails. Cready stepped in after me, giving me a curious glance before pushing the  _ down  _ button.

“I don’t like elevators,” I managed to whisper as the doors closed. 

“Oh,  _ great _ ,” Cready rolled his eyes. “Don’t go wiggin’ out on me, alright?” 

I let out a nervous laugh, which was more of a whine than a laugh. 

The elevator came to a stop at the sub-level, and once the doors opened, the smell of decay hit us like a wall. I gagged, putting both of my hands over my bandana to try and block the stench. 

“I think we’re the first ones down here in a  _ long _ time,” Cready gagged. “The sooner we find that cure, the sooner we can get the heck out of here.” 

I nodded in agreement, coughing out, “Let’s get going.” 

I took the lead again, coming to a bend in the hallway when a turret started shooting. I hurriedly stepped backward, knocking into Cready as bullets whizzed past our faces. A ghoul shrieked from the hallway, followed by the wet sounds of bullets hitting it. I peeked around the corner, finding that the hallway opened into a two-story holding chamber with multiple rooms, and two turrets humming on the ceiling at each end. 

I jumped across the open threshold to the other wall, leaving Cready on the other side. “Two turrets,” I said to him, pulling off my rifle. “If you hit the one in the back, I’ll take out the one in the front.” 

“Got it,” He said, adjusting the rifle in his hands. 

“On the count of three. One...two...three!” 

We only had seconds to shoot before the turrets turned on us and began firing. We turned and fired at our targets- hitting them and rendering them useless. Breathing a sigh of relief, I moved forward into the holding chamber. There were at least four rooms to each wall, both upstairs and down. Each room had a feral ghoul inside, thrashing about maniacally as we passed their cells. 

“What the hell is wrong with these doctors?” Cready spat, “How could they just switch off their morality?” 

“And people think that the end of the world was a bad thing,” I sighed to myself while reloading my guns. 

We found our way to a flight of stairs and continued our advance. We found a lab further downstairs, with several ferals around the outside of the entrance that we took down with ease. Through one of the lab's windows, I spotted several ferals on the inside. 

“Cready,” I pointed to the window. “We have to lure them out somehow. We can’t risk blowing that lab to pieces if it has what we’re looking for” 

He let out a nervous sigh, “ _ Right _ . Right...so, what should we do?” 

“I’ll get into the terminal to get the door open. I’ll have to get back a pretty good distance away, but…” I pulled out four grenades, “These are the only four I have left. When they get through the door, we blow them up.” 

We each took two grenades and moved to our positions. I accessed the door lock on the terminal and immediately started to slowly creep away from the door. The ghouls started to wander out of the door, slowly, one by one. Once I was a safe distance away, I popped the pin of my first grenade and threw it to the ghouls’ feet. Cready threw his first grenade out just after mine hit the ground. Two explosions went off, killing two and injuring one. I threw my second out and grabbed my gun just in case it didn’t knock off all of them. The third explosion killed the injured feral. 

Out stepped the last ghoul- one that was glowing green and made wet slopping sounds as it walked. I put the ghoul in my sights as Cready threw out his last grenade. I sent a shot into the glowing feral's head, which made it stumble and fall to the ground. It wasn’t dead. The grenade blast went off, knocking out its legs. I took another shot, this one to it’s back, and finally, it succumbed to its injuries with a horrible sounding gargling growl. 

I hopped off my perch and ran towards the entrance of the lab. Cready beat me there, eyes wild, and started to rip through the lab looking for the cure. I started searching the large lab table in the middle, finding a slender black box with a syringe fitted inside. There were documents next to the box calling the syringe  _ Prevent _ and all of the contraindications and treatment uses of the medication. It was it- the cure. 

“Cready, I found it,” I said calmly. 

“What?” He whipped around and ran to me. “You did? Where?” 

I pointed to the box, “I think it might be the very last one. Keep it in this box, and keep it safe. These papers here,” I picked them up and folded them, “they’re directions for administering. These documents also go over the symptoms for use, as well as side effects. Keep these with it as a reference.” 

His hands were shaking as I handed him the documents. “We did it,” His voice cracked and tears welled in his eyes. “Holy crap...we  _ actually  _ did it!” With a yelp of excitement, he threw his arms around me. I was taken aback for a second, slow to return his hug. “We just gave Duncan a fighting chance to live!” His voice cracked again, followed by a few sniffles. “I don’t know how I’ll ever pay you back for this.” 

I pulled from his bone-crushing hug, “I just want you to get this cure to your son.”

“We have to get this to Daisy in Goodneighbor,” he said in a sudden panic. “If we leave now, we can get it to her tonight.” 

“Woah, woah, woah, Cready. I know you’re eager to get this cure to Duncan, but we’ve been here for longer than you think. Sundown is in three hours. We can probably make it to Sanctuary by nightfall, and then we can get up at sunrise and make it to Goodneighbor.” 

He let out a shuddering sigh, “yeah...yeah you’re right.” 

“Come on, let’s get out of here. Don’t forget anything.” 

The next evening, Cready, Dogmeat, and I walked into the gates of Goodneighbor with high spirits. Cready took the lead, almost walking with a strut of confidence, into Daisy’s Discounts. 

Daisy smiled as Cready walked in, “Well, well, well. MacCready. What do I owe the pleasure?”

“I got it, Daisy. I found the cure to Duncan’s disease!” 

“Oh my God! That’s  _ wonderful  _ news. How’d you do it? Last time you tried the ferals almost chewed you to bits.”

“I didn’t do it alone. Roxi here got me through Med-Tek. Now, all I need to do is get the cure into Duncan’s hands.” 

“I have a caravan heading out to the Capital Wasteland tomorrow morning. The captain owes me a favor, and I’m sure he won’t mind having you along as an extra gun.” 

“Thanks, Daisy. I’ll be here bright and early.” 

The conversation was not lost on me. I heard what he had agreed to- going with the caravan to deliver the cure to his son. Why was I so surprised by this? Cready didn’t mention going  _ with _ the caravan before, but I guess it made less sense for him to stay here in the Commonwealth. I felt overwhelmed with helplessness, the same feeling I had when I was hiding from the outside world those first few days out of the vault. I could feel the tightness in my throat and a burning in my stomach as I stood back and let Cready finish his conversation with Daisy. 

Cready led the way outside before turning to me and saying, “Welp, Roxi. Thank you again for everything. I’ll figure out a way to repay you.” 

I nodded, trying to put on a happy face for him. “ _ So _ , you’re leaving tomorrow then?” 

“Yep, bright and early. I can’t wait to get this to Duncan.  _ God _ , I hope it works.” 

“Me too. Do you think you’ll come back to the Commonwealth?” 

He gave a big shrug, “ _ Eh _ , we’ll see what happens.” 

It hit me like a punch to the stomach. “Right. Well, good luck with everything, Cready. I hope your son makes a full recovery. And...if you do decide to come back and bring Duncan along, I’m sure there’s room for you two in Sanctuary if you want it.” 

He smiled, “Thanks, Rox.” 

“You’re welcome. I’ll see ya around,” I headed for the gate, but Cready grabbed my arm. 

“W-wait, you're not gonna stick around? Have a drink?” 

“No,” I said, feeling tears well up in my eyes. “I’m going to head back.” 

“But...it’s dark. And you’ll be alone.” 

“I’ll be fine,” I tried to give my best reassuring smile. “Besides, I’m not alone, I have Dogmeat with me. Goodbye, Cready.” 

I cried silently on my way back to Diamond City. Dogmeat was kept close to me the entire trip like he knew that I wasn’t in the headspace to be on the lookout for hostiles. I stood at the gates of the city and stared up into the sky with my hands shoved into my jacket pockets. 

Through the gates of this city, I would once again be the local Diamond City celebrity. Everyone knew my name, but they weren’t my friends. I had Piper, but anything I said would be printed in an issue of her newspaper or brought up in a radio broadcast;  _ Our Favorite Vault Dweller’s Opinion on Everything! _ Cait would be working during my next shift at the bar, and I still feel like she would rip my hair out if she got the chance. Nick was always there to listen, but he had gotten so busy after the takedown of Cutter and his gang. Deacon would be hard to catch up with his work. Codsworth had taken Curie back to Sanctuary to help get adjusted to life and was helping out with the farming now. Sturges wouldn’t leave Curie’s side now. Preston was too wrapped up with the Minutemen to spend an ounce of effort on my problems. I could pour my heart out to Dogmeat, who would watch me with loving eyes, but he couldn’t respond. And MacCready would be leaving for DC in the morning, with his return uncertain.

I was alone.

So very alone. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was written and edited while listening to:   
> Everything I wanted- Billie Eilish   
> Do you Remember- Jarryd James  
> The River- Blues Saraceno  
> Underground- Lindsey Stirling   
> End of the World- Skeeter Davis
> 
> I'm posting this chapter a few days early as I'll be very busy this coming weekend. And if you've made it through this mess of terrible fanfiction, I want to thank you so much for giving my story a read!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BEFORE YOU READ: This chapter has elements of depression and insinuating suicidal thoughts. 
> 
> "Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle."  
> -Christian D. Larson
> 
> National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255

#  **Roxi**

A month passed agonizingly long, and still no word from MacCready.

I worked my three jobs, even picking up the late shift to work alongside Cait at the bar on Friday and Saturday nights. Together, Cait and I earned a killing in tips. We tossed bottles back and forth, sang the songs on the radio, and even danced on the bar. The guys _loved_ us. Piper would come in for a few drinks when Cait and I worked. The three of us would start the dance floor up for the night, partying, drinking, and yelling. It was just like I was back in college again. 

It was a cry for help and no one heard me. 

At the end of the day, when I shut my apartment door, I shut out the rest of the city. When the latch clicked into place, I felt the heaviness come crashing down on me like an ocean wave. My lungs felt like they were filled with lead. My body ached; I rubbed my neck trying to relieve some of the tension without success.

Dogmeat whined softly, snapping me out of my internal drowning for the moment. I put out food for him before retreating to my bed, stripping myself of my clothes, and flopping down onto the mattress. I didn’t feel like eating again tonight; the amount of effort it would take me to make myself even the smallest of snacks seemed like it would deplete my entire energy reserve. I was losing weight because of my neglect to eat, but only a few bites of food would send my stomach into a nauseating fit. 

I stared up at the darkened ceiling, asking for God to end my misery. Would anyone miss me? Probably not. They would just say “oh did you hear about Roxi? Shame, huh? Who’s going to fix the water problems here in town now?” Everyone in Sanctuary had already moved on without me. Piper would probably invite Cait onto the Morning show in my place. Shaun wouldn’t know who I was even if I did find him, so why try? His parents were dead. Maybe he was better off without me hunting for him. Tears welled in my eyes and spilled over, feeling a tight squeezing ache in my chest as I thought of the world moving on so easily without me. 

A few weeks later, I was sweeping the floor of the Dugout Inn after last call. We had confetti and glitter all over the place- just another Friday night party. Vadim had passed out on one of the couches after drinking too much of his favorite moonshine, and his brother went to bed after seeing the mess we made. I let Cait leave, knowing that she had a hell of a hangover to nurse in the morning.

The front door opened and shut. I peeked around the corner to see who was coming in, ready to tell them that we were closed for the night. Deacon stood in the doorway- sunglasses, white T-shirt, and jeans, with a smirk as he looked around the bar. 

“Am I late to the party?” He jeered. 

“About two hours late, actually.” I smirked and leaned on the handle of the broom, “What can I do for you, Deacon?” 

“I heard MacCready left town.” 

The name shot through me like being electrocuted. I gave a single nod as a response. 

“How are you coping?” Deacon asked, shoving his hands in his pockets. 

I shrugged, “Could be better, I guess. But I don’t think you came to see me at two in the morning to discuss Cready skipping town.” 

He laughed nervously, “Yeah. Well...I wanted to ask for a favor.” 

I rolled my eyes, “Hit me. It’s the only thing I’m good for, anyway.” 

“I wouldn’t say that’s the only thing you’re good for,” he muttered before stammering out, “look-look-look, I have a... _valuable_ shipment tomorrow night. I need...a _bird's_ eye view. If you catch my drift.” 

“I can provide aerial coverage.” 

“What would it cost to insure that my shipment makes it to its destination?” 

I thought for a long moment, “just grab a beer with me afterward.” 

“Awe, Rox, come on,” Deacon said with dubiety. “You gotta want more than _that_.” 

I shook my head, “No...not really. I just want to have a friend, I guess.” 

Deacon looked off-put. He had to be in a state of disbelief and confusion, maybe even a little pity mixed in. “Alright,” he sighed, “deal. But if you think of _anything_ else I could do to repay you, _please_ tell me.” 

“When and where do you want me?” 

The following evening, I was perched on a rooftop across from a rundown church. There were three raiders inside that I had taken out before lighting an old oil lamp as Deacon had instructed. I watched from above as Deacon and a woman hurriedly rushed inside the church, lighting an oil lamp in the left window. A couple of minutes later, an older man in a suit and matching hat, came sprinting along with a younger man and entered the church. 

I could hear them talking, but I could not make out what the group was discussing. I liked it better this way- I didn’t want to overhear something that would ultimately get me involved further than I already was. This group of Deacon’s liked their covertness and intimate secrecy between members. I was ninety-nine percent sure he was with the Railroad, but I didn’t ask too many questions. 

After the group fell quiet, a second oil lamp was lit in the right window. Ten minutes passed before a lone figure moved through the darkened streets and into the church. The group discussed amongst each other again, and then they rushed out. The older man and the newest arrival took the lead, with Deacon and his female companion taking the tail. In the middle was the young man that followed the older man earlier- I assumed he was the special package being delivered, an Institute Synth. 

Synths were a strange grey-area for me. Everyone in the Commonwealth that wasn’t with the Railroad seemed terrified about their existence. On one hand, Synths were interesting because of the pure science that it would have taken to create human-like robots. Did I agree with the science of creating Synths? No, as it broke the robotic laws I was preached while in college. But, on the other hand, I thought of my two friends, Nick and Curie. Nick was an older generation Synth, and I would trust him with my life. Curie was a transplant, once a Miss Handy of Vault 81 that collectively made the decision herself to become a Synth. I would put my life at risk to save hers, just as I would for any of my human friends. Hell, I _helped_ her get a Synth body so she could fulfill her wish. 

But...this young man that was being escorted to a safe house? Would I risk my life just to keep him alive? And with that being said, I had to think about all of the people I’ve killed and the people I’ve helped. I never questioned their existence as either a Synth or a Human. In truth, it was out of habit from two-hundred years ago when Synths didn’t exist. Back then, we never had to question whether or not someone was _actually a human_. The only thing we cared about is if you were a communist sent to spy on Americans. I couldn’t help but snicker at my memories before feeling an immense overtaking of dread, bringing me back to reality. 

I followed the group by rooftop, sprinting across the old homes, being careful with my footing. I popped off any Raiders that were ahead of the transport team before they had time to wise up to the ambush. When we approached the last leg of the journey, I knelt on the corner of a building, peering through my scope as the team made it to their destination. 

The sun was just beginning to rise on the horizon as I watched the team disperse. I climbed down from my perch and met Deacon on the bridge. 

“The stories don’t do your shooting justice,” Deacon said with a huge grin. 

I rolled my eyes and shouldered my rifle, “Let’s get out of here and get some sleep.” 

That same night, after sleeping through the majority of the day, Deacon and I met at the Dugout Inn after my shift ended. He ordered us a round of beer, which he swore would be on his expense, but I eyed him skeptically. The atmosphere of the bar was good- the music was loud, people were dancing and drinking. Cait was serving at the bar, keeping the men entertained with her crass attitude. 

“Here’s to you, Roxi,” Deacon held out his beer, “For being the ultimate badass of the Commonwealth.” I tapped my beer bottle to his and we both took a deep drink. “Thank you again for your help.” 

“No problem, Deacon. Thank you for upholding your end of the bargain.” 

“That’s what friends are for,” he smirked. “Have you thought about any other way I could pay you back besides this?” 

I twisted my beer bottle in my hand for a moment before looking into Deacon’s sunglass-hidden eyes. “Your _friends_ are good at getting information, yeah?”

“Depends on what you’re looking for.” 

“Well…” I leaned in closer to him, keeping my voice low, “can you get some intel on the Institute for me? About Shaun?” 

Deacon raised his eyebrows, “We can try our damnedest.” 

I sat back in my seat, “do that for me, and we’ll consider it even. And if I’m not around...relay that same info to Nick Valentine.” 

“Are you planning on leaving?”

“You never know when I might not be around,” I shrugged and took another swig of my beer. 

Deacon and I sat together for a couple of hours, drinking booze and eating radchicken wings. He insisted on walking me back to my apartment at the end of the night. We had to make a detour to Nick’s office to pick up Dogmeat before heading to my place. 

Deacon stopped outside of my apartment door, leaning against it and crossing his arms. “Roxi, my friends were _very_ impressed by your shooting.”

“Oh,” I huffed a laugh. I knew where this conversation was going. I tried to smile, acting natural, but on the inside, my anxiety flared. “Thanks.” 

“They were so impressed that when we got back to HQ, Glory _raved_ about your performance. I think you met her before when you took your Miss Handy friend to Goodneighbor for a transplant.” 

“ _Ah_ ,” I said, connecting the dots, “yes. I did meet her. She was rather reluctant at first, but I think she had come to find that Curie would make good use of her new body.” 

“Glory is one too, ya know?” He looked around the premises, ensuring that no one was within earshot, and whispered, “a synth.” 

“Amazing, isn’t it? How well Synths blend in.” _Drop the subject. Drop the subject. Drop the subject._

“I need to know, Roxi. Would you put your life on the line for a synth?” 

_Fuck_ , I knew he was going to ask. I took a deep breath, taking a moment to think of a good response, but settled on, “It depends on the situation.” 

“I want you to think about your answer, Roxi. My friends want to invite you to our team. And I- _personally_ , will show you the ropes. But, you need to be certain that you would risk your life to save a synth, no matter the cost.” 

“I’m not sure if I should join anyone’s team, Deacon. I’ve avoided it thus far.” 

“Well...I think my friends would benefit from having your skills on our side. And you would benefit from having us in your corner, especially if you start hunting down the Institute. So...just give it some thought, Rox. Alright? And...listen, I can tell you’re going through a rough patch. I might not be around all of the time, but if you need me, sneak a coded message into one of the Diamond City Radio ads. We can come up with something later. If I hear it, I’ll come to see you. Got it?” He opened up his arms for a hug; I obliged. “Have a goodnight, Rox. Just hold on, things will get better.” 

I walked into my apartment, shutting the door behind me, and slumped to the floor, sobbing. After several minutes of having a mental breakdown, I got myself up and sat on my bed next to Dogmeat. I stroked his fur, wide awake as my sleep schedule had changed to accommodate the night-time delivery run. 

As my boredom started to get the best of me, I started flipping through the settings and functions of my Pip-Boy. I turned on the radio function, finding a new signal had popped up on the screen, _Military Frequency AF95_. A military frequency? All of a sudden? Curious, I clicked down to the signal and turned it on.

“ _This is scribe Haylen of the Reconnaissance Squad Gladius to any unit in transmission range. Authorization Arx. Ferrum. Nine. Five. Our unit has sustained casualties and we’re running low on supplies. We’re requesting support or evac from our position at Cambridge Police Station. Automated message repeating…”_

I sprung up from my bed, grabbing my guns, utility belt, and extra ammo. I shoved as many supplies I had at my disposal into my backpack. I fixed my hair into a ponytail and wrapped my bandana around my face.

“Come on, Dogmeat. Let’s see what’s happening at the police station.” 

Dogmeat jumped from the bed with a happy bark. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was written and edited to the following:  
> Into Each Life, Some Rain Must Fall- The Ink Spots & Ella Fitzgerald  
> Graveyard- Halsey  
> Hung Up- Madonna  
> PYRO- Shinedown  
> DARKSIDE- Shinedown


	10. Chapter 10

#  **Danse**

My team loaded the last of the ammunition we had at our immediate disposal. Knight Rhys was badly injured, leaning against the police station with a pistol in hand in case something broke through this small line of defense. Our distress beacon was broadcasting into the night upon deaf ears. We all had been in tough situations before...but these ferals were relentless and seemed to multiply with each death. Take one down and four more rushed the barricades. I had two energy cells left, and I began counting down shots. A missed shot was a wasted one. 

Out of the night, a hellbent German Shepherd lunged into the advancing pack of ghouls. It grabbed one by the forearm and took it to the ground, tearing at its neck. Maybe our luck had shifted. 

_ Bang! Bang!  _

Two shots rang out from the alleyway. Two ferals dropped where they stood. A flash of silver split through the light cast by the floodlights overhead- a knife broke into the skull of another feral. In rushed the hidden fighter, a sniper rifle strapped across their back, a pistol in hand. 

At a full run, the fighter swung their legs over the barricade and dove to the ground, narrowly avoiding a feral that launched itself towards them. The fighter pulled the knife from the dead ghoul’s skull and jumped to their feet. Pistol raised- a bullet immediately shot the attacking ghoul, eliminating it. They threw their knife at another approaching feral and made direct and deadly contact through the skull. Four more shots with the pistol until it was out. No time to reload. Off came the sniper rifle, the butt of the gun slamming into the abdomen of a ghoul. Rifle leveled-  _ bang!- _ another dead one. The German Shepherd rushed in and took down one that was quickly approaching its owner. The fighter nodded to the dog in thanks before reaching down and grabbing something from a pouch on their hip. 

“Hey, big guy!” The fighter turned and yelled- a woman’s voice. “Heads up,” She tossed over several energy cells before turning back to the fight. 

That's when I snapped back into reality; I grabbed the energy cells she had thrown and reloaded my gun. I immediately began firing. A new hope had washed over me. The battle went on for several more minutes until, at long last, the last ghoul had been vaporized. 

I took a moment to catch my breath before approaching the helpful civilian. She had retrieved her knife and placed it back on her thigh, opposite the holster for her pistol. The dog was at her side, waiting ever so obediently for its next command. The citizen approached me with quite a degree of caution. 

She was...different. White hair, all black clothing; she pulled down the white bandana that was shielding the rest of her face. She had a certain look about her-  _ trouble _ , a Commonwealth Merc. 

I chose to speak first, “We appreciate the assistance, civilian. But what's your business here?” 

She took a hesitant step back, shaking her wrist, which had a Pip-Boy strapped to it, before sputtering out, “I...uh...heard your signal.” 

I tried not to stare at the Pip-Boy and instead forced my eyes to meet hers once again. “Where are you from, stranger?” 

“Uh...I'm not really from here. But, I recently left Vault 111 and-” 

“-You're a vault dweller?” I eyed her with a sharp skepticism to mask my surprise. Yes, she had the Pip-Boy, but it could have easily been stolen. It was her fighting skills that made her seem more like a Merc than someone who had hidden away underground. She blushed deeply- eyes dropping to the ground. Her dog whined softly. “Apologies. I never would have pegged you as someone from a  _ vault _ .” 

“It’s a long story,” She said softly. “For all intents and purposes, I’ve relocated to Diamond City.” She stuttered over her words. Nervous, but she seemed truthful, cooperative, and helpful. Perhaps I misjudged her. 

“Where are my manners?” I said, realizing that I was probably scaring away this helping hand. “I’m Paladin Danse, Brotherhood of Steel. Over there is Scribe Haylen and Knight Rhys. If I appear suspicious, it’s because our mission here has been difficult. We’re on recon duty, but I’m down a man and our supplies are running low. Since the moment we’ve arrived in the Commonwealth, we’ve been constantly under fire.” 

“The Commonwealth is unforgiving, that’s for sure. If...if you guys need supplies, I have a stockpile back at my place. I can run some things over in the morning. And-And I brought some stuff along with me.” The smallest of smiles peaked the corners of her lips. 

“You would do that?” I asked, still skeptical. 

“Absolutely,” she answered, eyes lighting up as her smile spread. “I’m Roxi, by the way. And this is Dogmeat,” she pointed with her thumb towards her dog, which gave a happy bark. It was the first sentence she uttered without tripping over her words. 

“Pleasure to make your acquaintance. It’s getting late, and regardless of how well you and your companion takedown ferals, it would be on my conscience if I didn’t insist on you staying the night here at the Police Station.” 

“I...I don’t want to impose,” She said shyly, putting her arms behind her back and popping out a knee. 

“Nonsense, follow me, we’ll get you settled in.” 

We started up the stairs to the police station doors, “Paladin?” Roxi asked; I turned to face her, “You said Scribe Haylen and Knight Rhys, right? Do they need more Stimpaks? I have four on me if they need them.” 

I could not believe her; in all of my years of service, I have never come across a civilian so willingly considerate. I would have considered it suspicious, but there was a look in her eyes that told me she was genuine. Maybe she was a soft vault dweller, after all. I declined her Stimpaks, knowing that she needed to get back to Diamond City in the morning. 

Inside the station, I showed Roxi the extra bedroll that she could use for the night. I wanted to get more information on this young woman, as she would be an impressive soldier with the skills that she exhibited earlier. I needed to get a better feel before considering her within our ranks. I wanted to start asking her more questions to get a better judgment on her character. I was unsure how to go about it, as my earlier questioning left her stuttering. 

I walked behind the lobby desk before stepping out of my power armor. Roxi slowly approached the desk, eyeing the radio that sat collecting dust. I pulled off my hood and ran my fingers through my hair, watching Roxi’s curious eyes upon the broken radio, eyebrows knitting together. I leaned against the desk, watching her eyes dart back and forth.

Her eyes flicked up to mine, “Is your radio broken?”

“Yes, it seemed to have stopped working shortly after we got here.” 

“I wonder if I could fix it…” She pulled the radio close and popped open the back panel, furthering her examination.

“You tinker?” 

She snorted, “Sort of. When I went to CIT they had us doing all kinds of odds and ends repairs. It was supposed to help us when we worked on more... _ sensitive _ electronics.” She ran her finger under the lip of the back panel and blew the dust out of the components. 

“CIT? The  _ college _ ? How did you go to school at CIT? It hasn’t been open since the  _ Great War _ .” I eyed her with a great deal of speculation. 

Roxi looked shyly up from the radio, her cheeks flushed, “That’s part of my long story I mentioned earlier.” 

“I’m listening,” I said, finding excitement that I would have my answers from her. 

“The Vault I come from is Vault 111. It was a cryo facility, but no one knew that when they signed up to be in the Vault. My brother, Nate, was an Army Veteran and was able to sign up his family. He lived with his wife and son in Sanctuary Hills, and I went to school at CIT, so they put me on the list. When the bombs fell, I was staying the weekend at their house so...I made it into the Vault.” She went back to inspecting the radio, just as casually as she shrugged her shoulders. 

But there was pain behind her eyes- I could tell she was fighting to keep it from consuming her even though she was masking it very well. I knew that she was seeing her past in traumatizing vivid detail. It was an expression I, unfortunately, knew well with soldiers in the Brotherhood, myself included. As much as I felt for her, I still needed answers to my questions. 

“So, Vault-Tec must have released the Vault residents, correct?” 

She sighed, eyes spacing to a void that no one else could see, “I’m one of the only survivors. The rest of the pods malfunctioned.” She blinked a few times- pulling herself back from that void, before looking down to the radio and fidgeted with something. “If you don’t believe me, I can take you to the Vault one day. I’d even let your recon team dig up whatever they wanted from the Vault, as long as they left the pods alone.” 

“And you have the authority to keep people in and out of an abandoned Vault?” 

“It’s not abandoned,” Her eyes snapped to mine and there was anger in her voice, “it’s a resting place.” She took a deep breath before continuing, “I’m a  _ little _ protective over it.” 

“My apologies. I can understand why you are protective of it. I believe that you said,  _ ‘survivors’  _ as if there were multiple people that left the Vault.” 

“My nephew, Shaun. At one point in time, a team came down into the Vault and unfroze us. Nate, my brother, was holding Shaun in his cryo pod...” She curled her hand into a fist, “They...killed Nate and took Shaun. Then, they refroze us. I have no idea how much longer I was frozen for, but one day the pods opened up, and I’m the only one that  _ wasn’t _ dead.” 

I waited a few minutes before asking my next question, allowing her time to decompress. “What made you go to Diamond City?” 

“At first, I was looking for answers, and that’s where everyone told me to go. But...I don’t know. I guess I’m still looking for answers. I guess I’ve just been sidetracked a lot, you know? Just trying to make it on my own in this world before trying to trace the steps of another.” 

“What do you do for a living?” 

“I work a couple of jobs in Diamond City. I work cases with the Valentine Detective Agency when I’m needed, I sometimes co-host a morning broadcast on the radio with my friend Piper, and I pick up shifts at the Dugout Inn tending bar. I’ve also helped run the Minutemen, but I’ve kinda stepped down from my position.”

“You seem very open to me asking you all of these questions.” 

“I figured it was pretty much an interview,” She looked at me with a knowing smirk. “I know I’m strange- I’m too nice and too giving. Trust me, I had a friend that  _ constantly _ gripped about how I’m  _ too  _ nice to people. And I know it’s not common for people to be like that in the Commonwealth. If you want to ask me more, I’m willing to answer almost anything to prove that I’m not some lunatic.” 

I had to laugh, she was right. “I think I have enough to go on.” 

“Alright, Paladin,” She smiled. “Oh, that reminds me. Whatever supplies you guys need, please, write them down so I can take it back to Diamond City tomorrow. I’ll get what I can.” 

The next morning, I thought I was going to have to rouse our guest, but I was mistaken. Roxi was up, packed, and heading out before the sun had even started to rise. Before leaving, she remarked that she would be back later that afternoon with the supplies we needed. Throughout the day, I caught myself staring at the door after she left on several accounts, and my squadmates took notice. 

“Forget it, Paladin,” Knight Rhys said with a tone of disgust. “She isn’t coming back.” 

“Don’t be such a downer, Rhys,” Haylen said, rolling her eyes. “I think she’ll be back. If not today, then tomorrow.” 

“And you’ll keep saying that same line the day after next, and the day after that, and the day after that, until she doesn’t show up for a month.” 

Haylen huffed, “Well, I’m sorry for trying to have a little bit of optimism.” 

I interjected before the conversation could continue, “Enough. Roxi doesn’t have an obligation to return. She’s not a Brotherhood soldier; she’s free to do as she pleases.” 

It was almost three o’clock in the afternoon before I heard the excited bark of a dog outside of the station. Roxi had returned bearing an overstuffed bag of the supplies we required. I was surprised at my relief when the station door opened with Roxi smiling and Dogmeat wagging his tail. 

“I have the stuff you guys needed,” Roxi smiled, her eyes bright again. 

“Surprised you came back,” Rhys said from the corner he was lurking in. 

Roxi looked over her shoulder at him but said nothing. Instead, she turned her attention back to me. “Need anything from me?” She asked with that same smile, handing over her bag of supplies. 

“At the moment, I think we are alright,” I said, accepting the bag and opening it up. 

Haylen, who was sitting at the desk behind me, turned and peered into the bag. “Man, you really came through on these supplies.” 

“If you guys need anything else, please don’t hesitate to ask." Roxi smiled eagerly, "I get a great discount at all of the Diamond City vendors. I’m also a pretty good cook if you guys needed a break in that department.” 

“Jack of all trades?” Haylen smirked with a half-laugh. 

Roxi chuckled, blushing slightly, “I guess so.” 

She left not long after dropping off the supplies. It became a routine over the following three weeks. She showed up with a bag of supplies, dropped them off, tinkered with the radio and left. She even assisted Haylen on the station’s rooftop to try to modify the radio signal a few times. The girls would come back downstairs in the middle of brainstorming their next attempt at fixing the tower. They would agree on something they thought might work, and Roxi would set off back to Diamond City with a new gadget to hunt down. 

While Haylen seemed to enjoy having another female around the compound, Rhys tried his very best to ignore her. He even pulled me aside to vent his frustrations with having an outsider coming into Brotherhood operations. I tried to reason with him, but he wouldn’t truly listen to my opinion on the vault dweller. 

One evening, Roxi stayed late and made the team dinner. It was one of her own “wasteland recipes,” as she called it. It was an enjoyable meal, which seemed to help boost the team’s morale, even Knight Rhys’, who still either ignored Roxi or tried his best at insulting her. He was determined to ignore her, even if that meant depriving himself of seconds. He kept staring at the pot until Roxi caught his gaze. 

“Would you like more?” She asked, trying to suppress her amusement. 

Rhys stared down at his empty bowl angrily for a few moments. He finally huffed and growled out, “yes, please. Thank you.” 

It had gotten dark while Roxi made dinner, and I insisted that she spent the night at the station. She kept her bedroll away from the rest of the team, and instead stayed in the office we had pushed all of the desks and broken computers into upon our arrival. I decided that I needed to talk to her on a more personal level, to gain her trust in an attempt to bring her into the Brotherhood’s ranks. 

I found her sitting cross-legged on her bedroll with her dog lying faithfully beside her. She was reading what appeared to be an old textbook by the light of her Pip-Boy. She looked up to me with a smile as I approached, folded a corner of the page she was reading, and closed the book. 

“Thank you, again, for dinner,” I stated, awkwardly, trying to find the best way to lead into a conversation. 

“No problem,” She smiled, “I don’t get to cook a lot these days.” 

“How did you learn, by the way?” 

“My mom taught me how to cook since I was old enough to stand. She was the type of lady that read  _ Picket Fences  _ before bed and entered every baking contest she possibly could.” Roxi recalled fondly before her eyes went downcast for a brief moment. “I had to... _ modify _ my cooking style since coming out of the Vault.” She laughed, and I chuckled as well. 

“You know,” I started, ready to start my talk of recruitment, but I looked into her eyes and lost everything I was about to say. It was most unlike myself to become sidetracked for something so simple, but yet, I lost every word I had prepared. “You mentioned the first night you were here, that you were looking for answers about your nephew. You haven’t given up, have you?” 

Roxi sighed heavily, “I don’t know. I feel like my little investigation has hit a brick wall. I don’t have any traces, sightings, hints or clues. I don’t even know where to start. Everyone keeps talking about this Institute, but...it’s almost  _ impossible _ . I have a friend trying to dig up any info he can, but...so far I haven’t heard from him.” 

The Institute. Of course. The root of all evil and a boogie man across the east coast. There had been rumors for years spreading across the Capital Wasteland, but it wasn't until recently that the Brotherhood had taken an interest in searching for them. After several dispatched teams had traveled here, along with the strong signals my team picked up, we began to believe that the Institute was a true threat. 

“I don’t think you should give up," I said, almost in disbelief of myself. I had planned to discuss recruitment, but now I was giving her a chance to leave and never return. "I’m confident that you will find something to help pick up where you left off.” 

She smiled lightly, “Thank you, Danse. I...needed to hear that.” 

“You’re welcome,” I offered her a smile. “I don’t want to keep you from your rest. I should get back with the team.” 

“Of course,” She held that same innocent smile, “Goodnight.” 

“Goodnight.” 

It was going on the second week and Roxi had not returned to the station. It worried me, and Haylen as well. Haylen missed her new friend, someone outside of the Brotherhood standards of conduct, who spoke plainly, without all of the military structure. Who shouted with excitement when she succeeded in repairing the station's radio and began to dance to "Runaround Sue" that played from the Diamond City Radio station. She even pulled Haylen over, getting her to dance and laugh. Until, of course, I had walked in to see them, and then it was back to business, Haylen, and Roxi both with bright red cheeks.

It was to the point that I wanted to investigate Diamond City, but I also thought myself foolish. Roxi was not a member of the Brotherhood that had abandoned us, but she was still someone who faithfully reported in. 

In truth, we could use her help. Haylen had been doing some digging into the local technical archives and discovered a facility called ArcJet Systems that had a device that would allow us to strengthen our broadcast signal. I couldn’t go alone, and I couldn’t leave the police station held by one person. We needed that fourth gun to help, and Roxi would have fit the bill. It would also be the perfect test to see if she was truly Brotherhood material. 

Early one morning, I turned on the radio, only to hear a familiar laugh.

_ “So, Roxi, you’ve been runnin’ around a lot. What’s going on outside of these green walls?”  _

_ “Same old, same old, Piper. Why? Why are you asking?”  _ Roxi said suspiciously. I could image her eyeing down her co-host. 

_ “Word on the street is you’ve found some new friends,”  _ Piper pried.

_ “I cannot confirm nor deny,”  _ Roxi said, suppressing her nervous laughter. 

_ “ _ Roxi _ , come on, you gotta give out some info. Are any of your new friends hot and single?” _

_ “ _ I  _ don’t  _ know,  _ Piper. We don’t discuss  _ those  _ types of things _ ,” She was laughing through her words. 

_ “YOU SAID ‘WE!’ THERE’S A 'WE' AND OUR LISTENERS NEED TO KNOW!”  _ The host pushed, laughing through her yelling. 

_ “CANNOT CONFIRM NOR DENY! CANNOT CONFIRM NOR DENY!”  _ Roxi yelled as Piper continued to press in the background. 

There was a sound of a scuffle, as if something or someone fell, followed by distant laughter before cutting to Elvis Presley’s “Burning Love.” 

I found myself smiling at the sound of Roxi’s laugh. I quickly brushed it off as relief that she was alive.  She had become someone that I would consider a friend, and I was happy to know she was safe.

The radio broadcast imprinted itself into my brain; I could not stop playing Roxi’s voice over and over in my head. She was alive. She was in Diamond City. By the late afternoon, I made my decision on what I had to do- find Roxi. It was risky to go alone, but I had no other choice. We needed her help, and it wasn’t like another civilian was going to walk through our barricades wanting to lend a hand to the Brotherhood. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've never been so anxious about posting a chapter until now...I hope it lives up to the hype!
> 
> This chapter was written and edited to the following:  
> Seven Nation Army- The White Stripes (Glitch Mob Remix)  
> Gasoline- Halsey  
> BLACK SOUL- Shinedown  
> Devil in Disguise- Elvis Presley  
> Runaround Sue- Dion  
> Burning Love- Elvis Presley


	11. Chapter 11

#  **Roxi**

I slipped through the doorway of Nick Valentine’s Detective agency, immediately smelling Nick’s cigarette and Ellie’s perfume. Ellie, who was sitting at her desk sifting through papers, looked up to see who entered; she smiled once she realized who had come in and turned back to her work. Nick was leaning against the backline of cabinets, reading from a folder in his hand.

“So, where have you been runnin’ off to, kiddo?” Nick smirked. “I haven’t seen you leave Diamond City so much since you got here.” 

I walked over to an empty chair and sat on it backward, crossing my arms on the back of the chair and resting my chin against them. I tried to swallow my smile, but failed, “ _I’ve_ ...been making _friends_.” 

“Hopefully not with a pack of Raiders,” Nick jived. 

I snorted, “No, not Raiders.” 

“You’re not in trouble, are you?” Ellie said, peering at me over her shoulder. 

“No, I’m not in trouble,” I smirked. “I...uh...I met _someone_. He may have fully convinced me to start looking for Shaun again.” 

Nick raised his eyebrows at me, pulled out a chair and sat down, still staring at me with his yellow glowing eyes. Ellie stopped the work she was doing and turned in her chair to face me. The detective and his secretary looked at each other for just a moment before looking back at me. 

“Tell us all about it,” Nick prompted with one of his classic smirks. 

“Well, it all started a couple of weeks ago…” 

I spilled the entire story from the time MacCready left to the moment I had met Paladin Danse and his recon team. Nick and Ellie kept their eyes curiously upon me during my story. When I finished, they shared the same glance. It wasn’t a particularly _good_ side glance, which made me fidget in my chair. 

Nick straightened himself, “How much do you _know_ about the Brotherhood of Steel, kiddo?”

I shrugged, “They’re from the Capital Wasteland. Cready mentioned one time how they _ran the show_ there.” 

Nick gave a disapproving hum. “They’re a techno-religious military organization. They're disgusted by Ghouls. They _hate_ Super Mutants. And they definitely _don’t_ like Synths. If they’re here, it’s because of the Institute, I can promise you that.” 

“Why now, though, Nick?” Ellie asked, her eyebrows knitting together. “After all of these years, why _now_?” 

“Danse had mentioned that his team isn’t the first one to come to the Commonwealth,” I said. “He didn’t go into much detail, but then again, I didn’t pry.” 

Nick looked at me with a smirk, “The stars are aligning, kiddo. Maybe it’s just dumb luck, or maybe there is such a thing as fate. But ever since you showed up there’s been a lot of heat about the Institute. And one day, the pot is bound to boil over.”

Ellie changed the subject, “Tell me about Paladin Danse. What did you think of him?”

I tried again to hide my smile, “Well, he seems like a pretty fair leader, from what I’ve seen. He has high standards for his squad. And...I don’t know,” I laughed nervously.

Ellie raised an eyebrow with a smirk, "Uh- _huh_ . And what _else_ , Miss Roxi?"

I blushed deeply as I recalled first meeting him, “I turned around after fighting those ghouls and I wasn’t expecting him to be _that_ good looking." I brought both hands to my face, trying to hide my idiotic grin and red cheeks, practically falling over in my chair. "I couldn’t even _talk_ right. I kept stuttering and- in all honesty- not a single guy I’ve dated has made me lose the ability to speak.” 

"I _knew_ it," Ellie said triumphantly to Nick, who did not at all look pleased. "Roxi has a crush. Which means you were _wrong_ , Nick. She didn't have feelings for MacCready."

"Or maybe she's just moved on," Nick smirked to Ellie.

I chimed in before anymore speculation could be thrown around, "I didn't have feelings for Cready. Confirmed."

"Hah, I told ya so," Ellie said with a prideful smile.

Nick sighed, “Well, Roxi. Just be careful.” 

"Wait...were you guys...? Hold up...did you make a bet about me and Cready?"

The pair looked at each other and laughed, but never answered my question.

I left Nick’s around eleven o'clock that night, dragging myself to my apartment and crashing down on the bed to sleep. I had been forcing myself to wake up early when I was hanging around the Brotherhood team; I didn’t want them to get the impression of laziness. My mind spun with everything that had happened in these past few weeks. At some point, I drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, I was woken to the sound of frantic knocking at my door. I got up, sluggishly getting myself to the door, and opened it only to be blinded by sunlight. Deacon was standing in my doorway with a goofy smile. 

“Good morning,” he said sheepishly. 

“Hi,” I said, trying to block the sun out of my eyes with my hand, “What can I do for ya?” 

“I have intel,” his goofy expression turned into a huge grin. 

“Holy _shit_!” I said, grasping his shoulders, “We gotta get to Nick!” 

“Maybe you should put on some pants first.” 

“ _U_ _h_...yeah, let me do that real quick,” I said stepping back into my apartment to find some sweatpants. 

* * * *

I was helping tend bar on a very busy Friday night with a party-like atmosphere at the Dugout Inn. We had the music from Diamond City Radio up loud, causing people to have to yell over top of it to have a conversation. Cait was working alongside me at the bar while Vadim mingled with his customers, taking pictures with a camera I had fixed up for him. He had this wonderful talent to get people to drink their drinks fast and convince them to order more. Quite the talent to have for a bar-owner.

Cait and I were making a killing on tips again. I was dressed in a black tank top and a pair of tight ripped jeans with my knee-high boots. My pistol was strapped to my thigh as I never left home without some kind of weapon. Cait was in a pair of shorts that barely covered her ass with a pair of red high heels and a white tank top so tight you could see the outline of her ribs. 

I just happened to hear the Inn’s door slam shut, causing me to look up from wiping down the bar. In walked Paladin Danse himself, in his Power Armor and a scrutinizing expression. I didn’t know what to do, so when he looked my way, I caught his gaze and waved. He started walking towards the bar, towering over everyone around him. 

“Holy hell,” Cait said, “Is that him? That guy you were talking about?” 

All I could do was smile at her while Danse approached us. I looked up to him, “Well, Paladin, I never thought I’d see you in here.” 

He smirked before stepping out of his power armor and pulling off his hood. He ran his fingers through his black hair before sitting down on a barstool in front of me. I happened to glance down at the bar at Cait, who was biting her lip while looking at the Paladin. 

“Two weeks is a long time without hearing any word from you,” His gruff voice reverberated in my chest, sending chills down my back and arms. 

I blushed, trying very hard to keep my cool composure while simultaneously resisting the urge to bite my lip. He was on _my_ turf, I wasn’t going to be shy here like I was at the Police Station. “ _I_...took your advice. I started up the hunt for my nephew again.” 

“ _Ah_ ,” He said, looking quite crestfallen, “So you’re otherwise preoccupied.”

“Actually, I'm at a standstill," I said with a sigh. Danse's expression quickly perked up. "The mayor won’t let us investigate the house of a man who we believed kidnapped Shaun. I have a friend who is working on a city petition, although it’s turning out to be a slow process. But, anyway, I’m sure you didn’t come all this way, _alone_ , without a reason. How can I be of service to you, Paladin?” I asked, leaning in close, arms folded on the bar. My eyes traveled from his hands to his muscular arms, until I lifted my eyes to his with a flirty smirk. 

Danse surveyed the bar before continuing, “Could we discuss this in private?” 

I raised an eyebrow and chuckled, “That’ll cost you- take a shot with me first.” 

“Roxi, that is highly unnecessary,” Danse replied in full seriousness. 

“That’s my price, Paladin,” I said, keeping my flirty smirk. He rolled his eyes and relaxed his shoulders- I won this round. “Pick your poison.” 

“Whiskey,” he replied without hesitation. 

“Whiskey it is,” I said grabbing the bottle from underneath the bar and two shot glasses. I poured out our respective shots and picked up my glass. “To the Brotherhood?” 

“Ad Victoriam,” Danse said with a certain amount of pride. We clinked our shots together and threw them back.

As I put down my shot glass, I caught some commotion breaking up the dance floor. The music stopped playing. People gasped and moved out of the way, opening up my view to Paul Pembroke holding a gun to Henry Cooke’s head. 

“Ah, ah, ah!” I yelled over the Paladin’s shoulder, pointing at Pembroke. “You’re not bringing your Taphouse drama in here, Paul! Put the gun down, _now_.”

“He’s sleeping with _my wife!_ ” Paul yelled, his gun hand was trembling. 

“I don’t give a _fuck_!” I yelled even louder, “Put the gun down or you’ll have _me_ to deal with!” 

Cait grabbed her shotgun from underneath the bar and racked it. I snapped my fingers at her and pointed downward, indicating for her to put her gun away.

Paul didn’t put his gun down. Instead, he started to retell his melodrama to Henry Cooke about _why_ he wanted to kill him. 

"Son of a bitch," I grumbled, hopping up and swinging my legs over the bar beside Danse.

I crossed the floor to break up the fight, fully aware that I was under Danse's watchful gaze, along with everyone else in the bar. As I drew closer, Paul aimed the gun towards me. I quickly dodged out of the gun’s centerline, grabbing the gun by the barrel with my left hand and hitting Paul’s wrist with my right, knocking the gun out of his hand and into both of mine. I snapped the gun around, pointing it at Paul, and checked to make sure the safety was off. 

“On the ground, Pembrooke. Cait, buzz the guards.” I said calmly. Both of my instructions were followed to my immense pleasure. 

“Come on!” Pembrooke said, keeping his hands on his head. “How do I get arrested and _he_ gets to walk free?”

“Because attempted murder is a crime, Paul,” I rolled my eyes.

Henry Cooke let out an airy laugh, placing a hand on my shoulder, “Thanks, Roxi-” 

I turned myself enough to kick Cooke in the groin, dropping him to the ground. “ _Quit_ _sleeping with his wife_ , _Cooke_! Find your own for fuck’s sake, or she can get a divorce. And don't fucking touch me. Jesus H. Christ.” 

Once the Diamond City guards showed up, I turned over the gun to security and walked back to the bar. The crowd cheered. The music was turned back up. People started to walk back onto the dance floor. Cait was standing behind the bar by Paladin Danse, who was watching me with a smirk and a full glass of whiskey in his hand. 

“Sorry about that, Paladin,” I leaned against the bar next to him. Cait handed me a shot of whiskey, “Where were we?” I took down the shot. 

He smirked, “I believe I have upheld my end of the bargain.” 

“Get your power armor and follow me,” I smiled.

I led Danse to the kitchen near the back of the Inn. He used his power armor to block the entrance so we could continue our conversation without interruption. I leaned against the counter, watching the Paladin make his way towards me, enjoying the view of the tight orange Brotherhood uniform.

“Haylen was reading through local documents when she came across a device that would help us boost the station’s radio tower,” Danse started, as serious as ever. “Our target is ArcJet Systems, but I can’t go alone, and we can’t leave the police station unguarded.” 

“ArcJet? You’re going after the Deep Range Transmitter, aren’t you?” 

Pure surprise washed over his expression, “You _know_ about it?” 

I almost laughed, “ _Know_ about it? I _worked_ on it. Well, the prototype, I should say. ArcJet contracted CIT to help make blueprints, on the down-low, of course. They were going to strap it to the rocket so they could communicate in outer space, but they had some major setbacks and pushed the project back. If it still works, you guys could broadcast across the entire nation."

“So, will you lend us a hand?” He asked, back to his serious soldier self, but I could see the hope in his eyes. 

“Of course,” I smiled. “I'm ready to head out when you are.” 

“Outstanding,” Danse said, both triumphant and relieved. 

Danse jumped back into his power armor and led the way out of the Inn. I followed beside him, looking up to the bar where Cait was gawking at the two of us. I pointed my thumb towards the Paladin behind his back, wiggling my eyebrows at Cait; her jaw dropped. I had to hold back my laughter as I followed Danse through the threshold towards the exit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I'm posting this a day early because I'm an idiot and procrastinated renewing my National Medical Assistant Certification- which is due Monday. So I'll be slammed studying all weekend...
> 
> As always, thank you for reading! See you all next weekend!! :)
> 
> This chapter was written and edited to the following:  
> Fingers Up- HyperCrush  
> Come Together- Gary Clark & Junkie XL  
> Blinding Lights- The Weeknd  
> Monster- Lady Gaga  
> I Got Love- Miyagi & Эндшпиль feat. Рем Дигга  
> Marry the Night- Lady Gaga  
> Burning Love- Elvis Presley  
> All Shook Up- Elvis Presley


	12. Chapter 12

#  **Roxi**

I spent the night at the police station with Danse and his team before making the trip to ArcJet. Before the sun was up, Danse roused me from my sleep. We got to work preparing our gear and double-checking maps. When the sun was starting to peak on the horizon, we stepped out of the police station. 

“Follow me, and try not to lag behind,” He said with a stern voice, but with the slightest hint of a smirk. 

We started traveling to the west. The wasteland was quiet, besides the clinking of Danse’s power armor. We walked side by side in silence for a few miles, cautiously scanning our environment for hostiles. I was finding myself feeling...bored. I looked up to the Paladin, who had his eyes forward and serious. I wanted to ask him questions, figure out more about the Brotherhood of Steel. But as I turned and started to ask my question, Danse also turned and began his own. 

“So, why the police station?” I asked.

“So, Valentine Detective Agency, huh?” Danse asked simultaneously. 

We both narrowed our eyes at each other with humor, suppressing our laughs. 

“Ladies first,” Danse prompted. 

I chuckled, “I was wondering why you guys picked the police station to set up shop.”

“Given the nature of the facility, we felt that it would be tactically advantageous to search it for weapons and ammunition. The radio tower on the roof was an unexpected boon, but it obviously has its shortcomings that need to be rectified. It might not be as imposing as The Citadel back in the Capital Wasteland, but it suits our purposes.” 

“The Citadel? What was it pre-war?”

“I believe you would know it as the Pentagon.” 

“Oh!  _ No way _ ,” I said with an almost overbearing amount of enthusiasm. “What was your question, Paladin?” 

“I was questioning your affiliation with the Valentine Detective Agency.”

“ _ Oh _ ,” I laughed nervously. 

“So you’re aware of the existence of synths,” he prompted. 

“I am. Well...I am  _ now _ . When I first showed up at the agency, Nick was missing.  _ So _ , I went looking for him thinking I was looking for some  _ guy _ .” I snorted, “ _ Boy  _ was I surprised when I found him.” 

Danse looked at me with a raised eyebrow, “And how has this swayed your opinion on synths?” 

“To be honest, it took me a  _ long  _ time to get used to Nick. But he’s been the most involved in helping me find Shaun. The synths that everyone is scared about, though, the ‘new ones,’” I air quoted, “now  _ they  _ creep me out. Like, what’s the point of making robots that are indistinguishable from humans? That was a big talking point in college, ya know? They would ask us: what is the function of this robot? What tasks are they going to complete?” 

“If you ask the Brotherhood, synths are a threat to humanity,” Danse said sternly, I would say it was even laced with anger. 

“What asshole scientist-” I said, to which Danse snorted and made me chuckle before continuing, “-would sit there and go ‘hey, you know what sounds like a good idea? Robotic people’ and then get a team together to make them. I just do  _ not _ see the sensibility in it.” 

“I’m pleased that your ideals correlate with the Brotherhoods.” 

“Like I said, in college they always wanted us to think of what purpose our robot projects would fulfill. Take for example the Mister Handy robots: their primary function was to help with chores in a domestic household. Or even the Miss Nanny’s. Designed to help out with the kids, but they were marketed more towards wealthier families and their cost was a lot more expensive because they had extra safety protocols installed. Robots were supposed to make things easier- which of course bred a new kind of laziness. But...can't win them all, I guess.”

“Your knowledge bank of these robots is quite remarkable, Roxi. What did you major in at CIT?” 

“Advanced Systems. I had applied for my doctorate right before the bombs fell.” 

“In that case, you were one of the best in the robotics field.” 

I looked up to him with a cocky smirk, “best of the best of the best.”

“What were your plans after college?” 

“ _ Ehh _ , I was thinking of specializing in military robotics because my dad and all of my brothers were in some branch or another. I figured if I went with military robotics my parents would be just as proud of me as they were my brothers.  _ But _ ...we had a Sentry Bot go haywire in the shop class one time and it kind of...well, it scarred me for life, really.” I laughed at the memory. “It was my classmate's fault. I told him he needed to be careful with it; they are  _ unbelievably  _ touchy. The  _ idiot  _ wasn’t paying attention and hit something he shouldn’t have and- let me tell you- I’ve never run out of a classroom so fast in my life. That thing came on and said ‘alert: non-combatant safety cannot be guaranteed’ and I was  _ gone _ .” Danse laughed, making me laugh as well. “And I mean like-” I slapped my hands together and pointed forward, “-out the door, down the hall, and outside in the street within five seconds.  _ Gone _ .” 

“So, if we come across a Sentry Bot…?” 

“Oh! I can hack them and force a shutdown.” 

“Can you,  _ really _ ?” Danse asked with a look of surprise. 

“Yeah, I mean- sorry, Paladin, but you’ll have to distract it until I get close enough- but yeah, I can,” I said jokingly, looking up at him with a large grin. 

He shook his head with a smirk. 

We approached the ArcJet property. Danse immediately became all-business again, checking his gun and straightening himself to stand tall. He surveyed the grounds for a few moments before leading the way to the front doors.

He stopped and turned to me, “Listen up. We do this clean and quiet. No heroics and by the book. Understood?” 

“Yes, sir,” I nodded. 

“Good. Remember, our primary target is the Deep Range Transmitter. Stay focused and check your fire.” 

Danse led the way, holding the door open for me from the inside after checking his corners. The place was a complete wreck. Not only was there the normal dust and decay from two hundred years of neglect, but papers and folders were tossed about, almost completely covering the floor.

Danse took point through the lobby but quietly said, “I hope you can see now, in retrospect, that it was corporations like this that put the last nail in the coffin for mankind. They exploited technology for their own gains, pocketing the cash and ignoring the damage they’d done.” 

“I know their CEO was rumored to be a wack-job,” I quietly returned. 

Danse turned the corner and huffed, “Look at these wrecks.” I turned the corner to find protectrons ripped to pieces upon the floor. “It appears as though the facility’s automated security’s already been dealt with.” 

“Whoever- or  _ what _ ever- did this was quick and clean about it. I’m guessing it’s the Institute's handiwork.” 

“Your guess is right- Institute Synths.” 

“ _ Great. _ I’ll be on the lookout.” 

“Roger that,” he said with the faintest of smirks, “let’s move out.” 

We continued through the mess that was ArcJet Systems. Collapsed ceiling tiles, broken glass, documents littering the floor, and tipped over file cabinets made obstacles for us to maneuver around. We reached a lab with a maglocked door after several twists and turns. I went to work on hacking into the computer system and accessing the remote locking function as Danse reconnoitered the area. 

“Paladin, I have access.” 

“Perfect, open it up.” 

I hit  _ enter _ on the keyboard. There was a click of the maglocks being released followed by the sounds of the hydraulic door opening. 

“Hello?” Said a robotic voice. 

_ Fuck _ . 

“Open fire!” Yelled the Paladin as he started firing off shots with his laser rifle. 

I pulled out my gun and started firing at an oncoming Synth. These synths didn’t look like humans. They were fully plated in white plastic with yellow glowing eyes, either wielding guns or shock batons. 

One ran up to me, holding up its arm with a shock baton- but even in the split second before I shot and killed it- I noticed that it’s pupils dilated and scanned over me. It creeped me out, and I sent a few extra bullets into it to make sure the damn thing was dead.

Together, Paladin Danse and I cautiously moved along the newly accessed hallway, reloading our guns as we walked, only to stumble upon another nest of synths. When the barrage of synths stopped, the Paladin and I reloaded our weapons again and caught our breath. 

“Creepy bastards,” I muttered. 

Danse concurred, “Damn Synths have compromised most of the facility. Be sure to check your corners.” 

We pushed onwards, blasting our way through automatic turrets and carefully stepping around weak spots in the floor. We descended two flights of stairs, coming to a door marked “Caution: Testing Facility. Authorized Personnel Only.” 

“This must be the engine core,” Danse said, placing his hand on the door handle. “Should be our final stop.” 

I followed Danse down the darkened hallway, passing through the threshold of the engine core. The hallway opened up to a massive observatory with a XBM Booster Rocket hanging in the center. Danse and I both looked over the rocket and the massive room in awe. 

“Wow, look at this place,” I said, taking in the rocket dangling in front of us. 

“The scribes would have a field day in here,” Danse said, matching my level of astonishment. He scanned the room for a moment before adding, “Looks like the elevators are dead. We’ll have to keep heading down for now and see if we can get the facility’s power back online.” 

Once on the lower floor, Danse and I split the team so he could keep an eye out for hostiles while I checked the maintenance room. I turned the light on my Pip-Boy and cautiously stepped around the room, afraid of falling victim to some hidden trap. I moved to the back where a power generator sat lifelessly. Upon further inspection, the generator’s fusion core had been removed and tossed onto the floor. I grabbed the fusion core and inspected it for damage before sliding it back into its port. 

I placed my finger over the generator's reset button with hesitation, but something didn’t feel right. 

This generator was turned off for a reason. There had been hostile synths crawling all over this building- but now? Nothing. No signs of any synths in the most sensitive area of the building. But...hitting this button would power the elevators, which were our only way up to the observation room at the top of the tower. I had to proceed. 

I sucked in a deep breath and pressed the reset button. The generator whined to life. The lights flickered on line by line. 

“ _ Ambush _ !” I heard the Paladin yell as he opened fire.

I grabbed my pistol from my holster and ran back to the maintenance room. As I rounded the corner, a synth was standing there, its arm raised and sent the baton it held across my face. I stumbled backward both from surprise and the force of the hit. The strike stung and would most definitely leave a hefty bruise, but at least it didn’t shock me with electricity. 

I regained my balance, trying to avoid the synths next baton swing. I dodged out of the way, stepping back into the maintenance room. The synth swung the baton, I blocked it with my forearm and took another step back. It kept swinging, and I was unable to find a moment to counter him- I was completely on defense. 

I took another step backward, tripping over a control panel against the wall, dropping my pistol onto the floor. The synth brought the baton across my throat, pinning me to the panel. The synth was keeping me there, its pupils spinning like a camera lens being adjusted, its face coming closer and closer to mine. I tried to fight back before it decided to put the finishing blow on me. I struggled against it, kicking and trying to break my arms free. I thrashed about, accidentally hitting a button on the control panel. 

An automated voice boomed over the facility’s speakers. “ _ Command accepted. Commencing thirty-second countdown. _ ”

Uh-oh. 

I was able to get myself free of the synth’s grasp and flung myself across the floor to get enough distance from it. I picked up my gun as I scrambled on the ground. I turned myself over and aimed up at the synth, which was raising its arm ready to strike me again- this time, the baton was alive with electricity. I sent three bullets into it- two in the chest and the final one in the head. 

“ _ Fifteen, fourteen, thirteen…”  _

I listened to the countdown as I caught my breath. It was then that I realized that Danse was still firing away in the main testing room, underneath the giant rocket that was about to complete its launch cycle. I scrambled to my feet, rushing out of the maintenance room and down the hallway to the testing chamber. The blast doors would be closing soon, and Danse needed to get to cover fast. 

“ _ Danse! _ ” I screamed, but the engine started to whine. He continued firing upon the army of synths that rained down upon him from the ceiling. 

“ _ Ten, nine, eight… _ ” 

“ _ Danse! _ ” I screamed again, this time rushing forward, avoiding the synth's laser fire. I grasped his arm and started tugging him towards the blast doors. He looked down for the slightest of moments before he realized what was happening.

“ _ Five, four, three...”  _

We flung ourselves through the closing blast doors- Danse with his power armored arm around me as we crashed to the floor and skidded along the concrete. I landed on top of him, to which he quickly flipped me onto my back and shielded me with his whole body. I grasped the handles on the front of his power armor, curling myself into his shield.

“ _ Two, one...Engine Firing. _ ” 

The roar of the engine was deafening, and I could feel the temperature of the hallway rising, even though the concrete and metal of the blast doors. The engine blasted away for about fifteen seconds before ceasing. The doors clicked open. The scents of scorched concrete, melting plastic, and engine fuel wafted through the hallway. 

“ _ Test firing completed with an efficiency rating of ninety-six-point-seven percent. _ ”

I let out the breath I had been holding since the engine started to fire and let my body go limp. Danse let out his held breath as well, slowly pulling away but still hovering over top of me. I looked up to him- he wore an expression of relief as he scanned my body for injuries.

“Are you alright?” I asked him, still trying to catch my breath. 

“Yes, I’m alright,” he said, still too out of breath. “I thought I said no heroics.” 

I huffed a small chuckle, “ _ yeah _ , well, I don’t think I’d make it out of here without you.  _ So _ .” 

“The important thing is that we’re still alive. Come on,” he said, picking me up effortlessly as he stood. “We have a way to get to the transmitter. Let’s go.” 

We walked back into the testing chamber that was now a heap of melted synth parts and loaded into the elevator. I moved to the back of the elevator and grabbed tightly onto the handrails. Danse pressed the button for  _ up _ before turning and giving me a curious look.

“I hate elevators,” I said, feeling my anxiety rise into my throat as the doors closed the cabin started its ascent. 

“ _ Hmm _ . I’m not a fan of them myself.” 

“At least you’re in power armor if this thing decides to cut loose.” 

“That is a valid point,” he smirked. 

The elevator came to a stop, and the door opened to a rickety-looking metal walkway at the top of the rocket. Danse took point, leading the way towards the observation room, laser rifle aimed ahead. 

“Careful,” he said quietly, “I think we have hostiles up ahead.” 

Sure enough, as soon as he rounded the corner, a synth sprinted out of the observation room with a shock baton raised. He fired, bringing down the synth in two shots. We pushed forward despite the enemy fire. Once we were both in the doorway, we could fire upon the synths together, dropping them where they stood. When the last synth fell, we entered the room. 

“This place is a mess,” Danse said with a tone of disgust. “They must have been trying to find the transmitter as well. Check everywhere- even the synth remains.”

We dug through every file cabinet. Every desk drawer. Every lifeless synth body on the floor. Until I found the transmitter discarded underneath a desk, hidden under a pile of paperwork. We crammed into the service elevator and ascended to the surface. We were finally out of that building.

The walk back was made in silence as we feared the Institute synths would ambush us along the trail to Cambridge. We didn’t breathe a sigh of relief until we were through the doors of the police station. I handed Scribe Haylen the transmitter, who went directly to the radio tower for installment. Danse stepped out of his power armor, pulling off his hood and ran his fingers through his hair. 

“Let’s talk outside,” he said, motioning towards the door. “I think we need some fresh air.” 

We sat on the steps of the station, enjoying the breeze while we sipped on purified water, unwinding from our adventure. I pulled off my leather jacket and t-shirt, letting the breeze cool me down with just my tank top on. I kicked off my boots and pulled off my socks. My jeans were sticking to my legs, but there wasn’t much I could do about that right now. I leaned back against the steps, using my arms to prop me up. 

“ _ Well _ ,” Danse said after draining his can of water, “that could have gone smoother. But, mission accomplished.” 

“Yeah, that was... _ interesting _ . Overall I thought we worked pretty well as a team.” 

“I agree. Which reminds me,” he reached over and grabbed his laser rifle, “I’d like to compensate you for your assistance during this operation. I think you’ll find this weapon useful. It’s my own... _ personal  _ modification of the standard Brotherhood Laser Rifle. I call it _ Righteous Authority _ . May it serve you well, Roxi,” he handed the rifle over to me. 

I stared at it for a moment, “Danse...you don’t have to do that.” 

“No, no, you’ve earned it. In the Brotherhood, we believe in paying all of our debts.” 

I let out a nervous laugh, checking out the rifle, “Thank you, Paladin. You know, I’ve never shot one of these before.” 

A small smile spread on his lips, “Here, let me show you the basics.” 

We stood and walked to the center of the compound, where we had met fighting feral ghouls. He set up a makeshift target a few yards away, then came to stand behind me, showing me the rifle’s functions and safety. When he was done, he took a step back and allowed me to work the range. I missed my first shot completely. 

“ _ Wow, _ ” I said, rolling my shoulder, “this thing has some kick to it.” 

Danse smirked, pleased with his rifle’s power. 

I took a second shot, this time taking more time to aim, and hit the center of the target. We worked for a while on shooting and reloading until I felt comfortable handling it. Danse looked very pleased with my quick progression. 

“So, Paladin,” I asked, feeling a wave of shyness wash over me. “What now?” 

“Well,” He said, taking a few steps closer to me now that we were done with shooting. “I wanted to make you a proposal. We had a lot thrown at us at ArcJet today. Our op could have ended in disaster, but you kept your cool and handled it like a soldier. There’s no doubt in my mind that you’ve got what it takes to be a part of the Brotherhood. So...are you willing to join us?” 

I bit my lip while taking in a deep breath, feeling my cheeks flush as a smile spread across my face. I dropped my eyes from the Paladin’s, letting out my breath with a nervous shutter. I didn’t know what to say. I had so much going on right now with finding Shaun. We were so close to a breakthrough. If by joining, would I be throwing that chance away? I know Danse wanted me to continue the investigation. And I know now that the Brotherhood found the Institute as an enemy. Maybe they were my best option...

Danse pulled me from my thoughts, “I take your hesitation as...unwillingness.” 

“No, I promise it isn’t unwillingness.” I met his eyes again, “You’re not the first person who has asked me to join their cause. Part of me feels like I owe it to them, and also to myself, to take time to consider this. And I’m just...I’m  _ so  _ close to getting the bastard that stole Shaun. I’m afraid that if I join up, I won’t get this chance again, because I’ll be working under a different agenda.” 

“I understand,” Danse said despite looking crestfallen. “If you change your mind, you know where to find us.” 

“Thank you, Paladin.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was written and edited to the following:
> 
> Stupid Love- Lady Gaga  
> Dangerous- Left Boy  
> La Maro- Jah Khalib  
> The River- Blues Saraceno   
> Godzilla- Eminem (feat Juice WRLD)


	13. Chapter 13

**MacCready**

_ August 1st, 2288 _

After thirty-six days of traveling, we reached the Capital Wasteland. The provisioners had several stops along the trade route that by-passed the nuclear-ravaged cities of New York and Philadelphia. When the weather was bad, we stayed under shelter. We walked for eight to ten hours, only stopping for water breaks, and rested through the night. 

By sunset, we reached the homestead. Lucy’s parents came out of the house, watching us as we inched closer. Once I was close enough where they could recognize me, I waved. Lucy’s mom, Mandy, jumped and shouted, rushing off of the porch to greet me. Her husband, Charlie, followed at a slower pace, waving his hat in the air. 

“RJ, oh my goodness,” Mandy said breathlessly as we met. She threw her arms around me. “Please tell me you have the cure. Please, tell us you have something for Duncan.” 

“Yeah, Mandy. I got it. I got the cure. I think, I hope.” I was fighting off tears myself, trying to keep myself from looking weak in front of Charlie. 

“How’d you do it, RJ?” Charlie asked, softly touching Mandy on the shoulder so she would stop squeezing the life out of me. 

“I had a friend help me out. But, this is the last known syringe of the stuff. If it doesn’t work, I don’t know what we’re going to do.” 

“Well, there’s only one way to find out,” Charlie said. 

We walked inside the farmhouse; the smells of stew cooking over a woodfire spread through the front door. It smelled like home. I went directly upstairs, the syringe case tucked protectively under my arm. Duncan was in the third bedroom, the furthest down the hall. I could hear his labored breathing even before opening the door. 

I stepped into his room to find him sleeping. It really wasn’t sleeping- it was a coma. I just didn’t like to admit it. The poor kid was nothing but skin and bones, his skin paled to a grey-white besides the blue boils that covered him from head to toe. It broke my heart to see him so sick. He was on the brink of death. 

Sitting on the edge of his bed, by the light of an oil lamp, I opened the case for the syringe and pulled out the instruction sheet. Roxi was adamant about me bringing these along, and I’m sure glad she was. 

It was detailed instructions on how to properly inject the syringe and advance the serum inside. I had to be careful with the placement. It was supposed to be an intramuscular injection that had to be given at the site of the most muscle presence. In Duncan’s case, this would have to go into his butt muscle, as his arms and thighs were down to nothing. The needle could not make contact with one of the boils, or the entire serum would be contaminated. I also had to inject the serum slowly, making sure that it dispenses through the muscle properly. 

But, if these instructions were to be believed, the serum would begin to reverse the effects within forty-eight hours. The full recovery time depended on how long the patient had been infected, and how far along the disease had progressed. 

I looked at the syringe, feeling nervous about giving this to Duncan wrong. I wished Roxi was here- she would know what to do. She would read these instructions with ease and be able to act on them with confidence. I wasn’t certain that I would do this right. But Mandy and Charlie both had shaky hands and declining eyesight- I had to do this. 

Without another moment wasted, I gave the injection in the correct spot, away from boils, and as slowly as the plunder would allow. Duncan didn’t even flinch at the injection- or, I should say, his muscle didn’t spasm. I was pretty sure Duncan had progressed past the ability to have the sensory indication of anything going on around him.

I left his room, closing the door behind me, praying that this would do the trick. Back downstairs, Mandy was serving her stew with homemade bread. She ushered me to my seat and insisted that I eat my fill. At the end of the night, I walked back upstairs to Lucy’s and my old room. I sat on the edge of her side of the bed, looking at the unused pillow. I felt the tears streaming down my face before I could even process the emotion I was feeling. 

The next morning, I was jolted out of bed to the sounds of Mandy screaming hysterically from Duncan’s room. I jumped from the bed and raced down the hall, throwing the door open, to find Mandy clutching onto a conscience Duncan. 

“ _ Daddy _ !” Duncan yelled.

I started sobbing, running to his bed and dropping to my knees beside him, “Duncan! Oh my  _ God _ , Duncan!” He threw himself into my arms, crying as well. 

Charlie rushed into the room. “What happened? Who’s screaming?” 

“He’s awake, Charlie,” Mandy said, her voice quivering. 

“Oh my God!” Charlie came over to Duncan, kneeling on the floor beside us. “I can’t believe it.” 

Over the next few weeks, Duncan’s condition continued to improve. His boils dried up and fell off, leaving the lightest of scars on his skin. His energy level increased with each passing day. His appetite improved dramatically. We had to help build up the strength in his legs to walk again, but after a month, he was running around the property. He was back to his rambunctious seven-year-old self with strawberry blonde hair down past his shoulders and freckles across his ruddy face. 

“So, what caused it, RJ?” Charlie asked one evening as we sat on the back porch after Duncan went to bed. “What caused him to get sick?”

I took a long drag on my cigarette, “Some kind of bio-virus. If Roxi was here, she’d be able to tell you more.” 

“That’s your friend, right? Roxi?” He asked while lighting another cigarette. 

“Yeah,” I said with a heavy sigh. 

“Well...what’s she like?” 

I squirmed in my chair, “Ehh. She’s really smart. Like, too smart. And she’s a vault dweller, but, you know,  _ pre-war _ .” 

“Ghoul?” 

“No, no, not a ghoul. She was on ice the whole time.” A long silence fell between us. I cleared my throat, “She offered a place that we could settle up in the Commonwealth.” 

“Hm,” Charlie nodded and puffed on his cigarette. We dropped the subject immediately. 

A few weeks later, Charlie, Duncan and I made the trip into town to the markets. The markets replaced Rivet City after they lost their fusion power to the Brotherhood of Steel. Not much had changed there otherwise. All of the buildings still laid in ruin and the ship was still above the water. However, there seemed to be less of a Brotherhood presence from what I remembered. Even Charlie commented on how little patrols were out in the streets. We made our trades and headed back to the homestead. 

Later that night, I was sitting with Duncan on a blanket in front of a campfire, making popcorn in a metal pot. Mandy and Charlie had pulled over their lawn chairs to sit on, drinking Nuka-Cola that we snagged from a vendor in town. We were reminiscing about our favorite memories of Duncan and Lucy before everything went to Hell. It was bittersweet to recall all of our adventures. 

“RJ, I’ve been thinking about our conversation from the other night,” Charlie said, grasping Mandy’s hand. “I think it would be good to leave this place behind. We’ve had our share of heartache here. And things in the wasteland aren’t improving. Maybe it’s what we all need- a change.” 

“I...uh...don’t know what to say. Are you sure you want to pack up and leave everything behind?” 

“With Duncan on the mend, and Lucy gone, what do we have left here?” Charlie said, looking into the fire with sadness in his eyes.

A silence fell over us. He was right. I wasn’t going to be welcomed back to the Capital Wasteland with open arms. Finding work outside of farming would be damn near impossible. At least in the Commonwealth, I had myself set up. I had connections for work, and an opportunity in Sanctuary to settle down properly and raise Duncan. It made the most sense. 

“Daddy! Look!” Duncan shouted and pointed up to the sky.

We all turned and looked up to what he was pointing at, only to find a remarkable display of aircraft. It was the goddamn Brotherhood of Steel flying their airship overhead, lights bright against the night sky with vertibird escorts. 

“Well, I’ll be damned,” Charlie muttered. 

“Wonder where they’re off too?” Mandy asked quietly as if the Brotherhood could hear us. 

“I think I have an idea,” I said, and immediately thought of Roxi. I hoped she had enough sense to stay far away from the Brotherhood when they showed up on the Commonwealth’s doorstep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was written and edited to the following:   
> Circles- Post Malone   
> Ophelia- The Lumineers   
> The Drug in Me is Reimagined- Falling in Reverse


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! I'm posting two chapters this week :)

#  **Roxi**

  
  


“Come out, come out,  _ Kellogg _ !” I screamed down a darkened hallway of Fort Hagen after taking down yet another hostile synth, beating it to pieces with an iron pipe in my rage. “Quit hiding behind your  _ synths _ !” 

The overhead speakers turned on again filled with Kellogg’s laughter. He started taunting us after we gained access to the basement level of the Fort. “Aren’t you spunky for a Vault Dweller? You and your friends think that you can waltz in here and leave with your lives? You have no idea who you’re messing with, popsicle.” The PA system hung up.

“All I know is that you’re getting your just reward,” I said through gritted teeth, leading my team onwards. 

Dogmeat was beside me, sniffing his way through the basement towards our target. Nick, Piper, and Deacon followed behind, all keeping an eye out for synth attackers. We continued our mission through the endless labyrinth, knowing all too well that we were in too deep to turn around and go home. When we started on this mission, we had a foolish amount of gusto with the hunt for the man that kidnapped Shaun. Now, as we inched closer and closer, we weren’t so sure of ourselves. My face was bruised along my jawline- I could feel my heartbeat in the swelling. A synth had whacked me across the face with its rifle during a fight when we first entered the Fort, luckily it didn't break my jaw. I sustained a few other bumps, bruises, and scratches while moving closer to Kellogg, as did my teammates. But there was a white-hot rage burning in my chest that kept me pushing forward. 

The PA system turned on again. “It’s not too late. Stop. Turn around and leave. I’m giving you that option, popsicle. Think of the friends you've brought along. You’re putting them all in danger, and for what? Do you think it’s truly worth all of your lives? You have no idea the web that you’re getting raveled up in.”

Kellogg had no idea the weapon I was carrying. Deacon and I had worked on it for several days before taking on this adventure. Not only did I want to see it work, but I wanted to see it destroy Kellogg and his synth army. I barely even looked skyward when the PA system had turned on, I just kept pushing forward, anticipating an ambush at every turn or doorway.

I opened the door to what seemed to be a presidential bunker. The team searched for anything of use and took the time to reload their weapons. I walked over to the maglocked door at the far end of the room, to which the PA system clicked on again. 

Kellogg sighed into the microphone, “Fine. You’ve made it. My synths are standing down. Let’s... _ talk _ , popsicle.” The magnets released and the door popped open. 

I turned and looked at my team, sliding off my backpack and opening the zipper. “If this doesn’t work, send in support.” 

I pulled my weapon from my backpack, hitting the prime button and gently placing it back inside. I kept the detonator in the pocket of my leather jacket. Nick looked at me with concern in his yellow eyes but nodded once. I handed Deacon  _ Righteous Authority  _ with a look that told him to keep it safe. Piper held Dogmeat back by his collar, giving me a small smile but unable to hide the worry in her eyes. 

“Don’t forget,” Deacon whispered, “You have- _maybe_ - a three-second gap between when you hit that button and when this thing goes _ka-pow_. You best be undercover before that, or you’re going down with the ship.”

“Right,” I took a deep breath and squared my shoulders. I gave Deacon a nod before turning and pressing onwards.

As I stepped into the dark command room, the lights above started to click on one by one as the synths came out with their arms up. I threw my pistol and backpack out in front of me as if I was disarming myself for this little peace talk. 

Kellogg stepped out from his hiding spot, “Well, well, well, if it isn’t the most resilient woman in the Commonwealth. So. Here we are,” He said with a smirk. 

“Where is he?” I asked sternly, my voice echoing into the high vaulted ceiling. 

“He’s not here.”

“I didn’t ask if he was here. I asked  _ where _ .” 

Kellogg laughed, making me grind my teeth together. “You know, for the uncounted variable you’ve done very well.” 

“I’m not an outlier. I’m not an underdog. Now, Kellogg, I don’t have all day- Where. Is. Shaun?” 

“Popsicle, you  _ are  _ an outlier. The Institute didn’t want  _ you _ .  _ You _ weren’t supposed to be here.  _ You  _ were supposed to die like the rest of them. But, it seems, God had other plans for you, if you believe in that sort of thing.” He laughed, “It’s funny. The eggheads couldn’t even ID you for certain until running into you at ArcJet with that Brotherhood Paladin. To think- a little bandana and a change of hair color kept you hidden from the Institute.”

I said nothing, just standing there glaring at the merc, my face hidden with the same bandana he mocked. It all made sense now as to why the Synths were pulling their punches at ArcJet when they got close to me. Their eyes were focusing on me, capturing my identification for the Institute to confirm who I was...they knew I left the vault.

Kellogg continued, “So, why are you even hunting the kid? He isn’t your son. He wouldn’t remember you, anyway, even if he was. So, why waste the effort?” 

“Because he’s family-”

“- _ Family _ , yeah, yeah,  _ yeah _ . We all do it for  _ family _ . But all it’s goin’ to get you is a shallow grave. Shaun is safe, in a loving home, with his  _ own  _ kind of family. The Institute. And like I said before- you have no idea the depth of the rabbit hole you’re diving down, popsicle.” 

I started to step back from him, away from my backpack as he lectured me. Of course, he drew closer with every step I took backward. Closer and closer I was to the door. Closer and closer he was to my weapon.

“Tell me, popsicle, how are we going to end this?” He jeered. “Are you just going to surrender? Or are we going to fight?” 

“I’m not going to surrender, you piece of shit. And by the way,” I spilled the detonator from my pocket, “My name’s Roxi. Go fuck yourself.” 

I pressed the detonator button. I dodged for cover, throwing myself out of the command room and into the hallway. As I hit the ground, I curled my legs into my chest and covered my head with my arms. The bomb exploded, shaking the entire bunker until concrete and dust started to fall from the ceiling. When the smoke cleared- Kellogg and his synths were dead.

Nick, Deacon, and Piper were screaming my name as they ran down the hallway. They turned the corner, finding me alive and well, to their immense relief. Dogmeat ran to me, licking my face mercilessly. Deacon helped me to my feet once Dogmeat had his fill of kisses. I brushed the dust off of me and tried to get it out of my hair without much success. 

“So, what did he say, Rox?” Piper asked. 

I took a deep breath before letting out a sigh, pulling off my bandana. “Shaun is in the Institute.” 

“Oh,  _ man _ ,” Deacon said, pushing up his sunglasses, “it’s worse than we thought.” 

“Yeah…” I sighed, running my fingers through my hair again. “Well, let’s check out this mess, see what we can find.” 

Together, the team fanned out through the command room, which was now mostly rubble and melted synth parts. Dogmeat sniffed around what seemed to be Kellogg’s remains. I shifted through the disarray trying to find anything useful like Stimpaks or ammo. 

“Hey, boss,” Deacon slid next to me,  _ Righteous Authority  _ in hand, “here’s your gun back.” 

“Thanks, Deac. You know, if it wasn’t for your intel we wouldn’t be here right now.” 

“Awe, don’t mention it. I wish we could’ve found your nephew.” 

“ _ Yeah _ ...me too. I couldn’t stop thinking about him last night. Stupid stuff, ya know? Like, I wonder who he looks like more- Nate or Nora? Or if he has any interest at all in what his parents were like. I kept thinking of stories I wanted to tell him about his dad when we were growing up. Or tell him about the family farm. And all of his uncles that he never would get the chance to meet. Or his grandparents-” I started uncontrollably crying, thinking of my family...my parents.

Deacon immediately had me in his arms. I sobbed into his shoulder, gasping for air. Nick and Piper rushed in and surrounded me with their own arms. It made me cry even harder. I kept trying to talk, but I knew my words were incoherent with my sobs. Deacon tried to calm me down, telling me that the fight isn't over yet. Piper was trying to shush me like one would a baby. Nick ran his good hand through my hair. My tears were only interrupted by Dogmeat’s persistent barking.

“I think Dogmeat found something,” Nick said, pulling away from the group hug. He walked over to the dog and knelt, “Hey uh...fellas, I think you might wanna see this.” 

We pulled from one another and walked over to Nick, who was holding something in his hand. It was a wiring harness attached to...a piece of brain? 

“ _ Eww _ , Nick, gross!” Piper exclaimed. 

“Is that...cybernetics?” I asked, kneeling down and wiping away my tears, taking a closer look at the object. 

“I think you’re right on the money, kiddo. I’m going to take this to Doc Amari down in Goodneighbor; see what she thinks of all this.” 

“Good plan, Nick,” I said, but still feeling defeated. 

We gathered up what we could out of the mess and hopped into the service elevator for roof access. It was a quiet ride to the top. The doors opened, and we walked out onto the roof to the sounds of engines humming. 

“What’s that sound?” Deacon asked, quickly looking around.

“Are the turrets back online somehow?” Piper asked, peeking over the railing to check the status of the automated security. 

“No,” I said, watching as light began to rise over the hillside, grasping onto the railing in front of me, “It’s not the turrets.” 

A low flying airship slowly crested the top of the hill against the twilight sky, escorted by vertibirds on each side. I let out an audible gasp at the sight of this massive work of aviation. Its spotlights were on, lighting up the area beneath it. The entire underbelly of the blimp was illuminated down the catwalk. Even while in mid-flight, a Vertibird was dropped from one of the massive mechanical arms connected to the airship and took off for flight. 

The airships PA system clicked on, “People of the Commonwealth. Do not interfere. Our intentions are peaceful. We are the Brotherhood of Steel.” 

My heart pounded in my chest.  _ Danse! You did it! You guys did it! _ I couldn’t help but feel the excitement bubbling up within me as if it were going to make my chest explode. I had a huge grin on my face, bouncing on my toes. Nick caught on to my eager expression, giving me a look of disapproval, but I looked away from him and back at the massive airship flying overhead. 

“Would you look at that,” Deacon said, his eyes following the airship. “ _ Damn. _ ”

Piper was staring upwards too, her hand over her open mouth, “I _don’t_ _believe_ it. They must have an entire _army_ on that thing.” 

“Mark my words,” Nick said, “The Brotherhood’s here to start a war. You best be careful if you go joining up with them, kiddo.” 

“I’ve got to agree with Nick on this one, Roxi.” Deacon said with a tone that matched Nick’s scowl. “The Brotherhood’s history isn’t always pretty. If you join up, watch your back. And if you figure out it was a mistake- you know who to turn to.” 

I felt the heat rise to my face, “Guys, come on. I haven’t made a decision yet.” 

Nick snorted, “By the look of excitement on your face? I’d put money down that you’ll be at Paladin Danse’s doorstep tomorrow morning.” 

I rolled my eyes, knowing he was absolutely right.

The following morning, I replenished my ammo and medical supplies from the vendors in Diamond City. I checked out a few new pistols since mine got melted by the bomb I set off at Fort Hagen, but nothing was satisfactory enough to justify spending the caps. I dropped Dogmeat off with Nick, who needed the company on his travels to Goodneighbor. 

Nick, of course, tried to talk me out of my plans of joining the Brotherhood. He had good reasons, but so did I. He had me promise that I wouldn’t let the Brotherhood change me as a person. He understood that I felt that the Brotherhood would be my best chance at getting into the Institute, but he just wished there was another option for me. I made Nick promise to take good care of Dogmeat. I also had him promise me that he would have Travis broadcast one of our clever coded advertisements if any type of advancement came from the piece of Kellogg’s brain. With a quick hug, I turned and left the city. 

I listened to Diamond City Radio as I walked to Cambridge. Piper was closing out her morning segment with Travis, talking about the airship that flew over the night prior. They also reported on the “confirmed rumors” of Kellogg’s death. As Piper signed off, they played Ray Smith’s “Right Behind You, Baby,” which made me laugh. 

Coming upon the police station, I immediately noted that Danse’s team had expanded. Two power armor-clad guards stood with miniguns at the entrance to the compound. I didn’t know how to properly approach these guys without getting fired upon, so I pulled off my bandana and kept my gun strapped to my back. As I came closer, the two guards turned their gaze towards me.

“Halt, civilian,” one of the guards spoke up when I came too close. “State your business here.” 

“I’m looking for Paladin Danse,” I said matter-of-factly. 

“And  _ you  _ are?” The same guard asked snidely. 

“Roxi Andrews,” I felt my smirk pull up at the corner of my lips before I had the chance to stop it. 

There was a long pause, “Wait here.”

The guard that spoke to me turned and walked into the compound. He stopped and spoke with someone else, who in turn ran inside, assumingly to speak with Danse. A few seconds passed before the same soldier ran out of the police station doors and down the stairs, speaking to the guard. The guard turned and moved back to his post. 

“Follow Initiate Rucker,” the guard said. 

“Thank you,” I smiled and walked through the entrance.

Initiate Rucker was a young soldier who looked rather nervous. He mumbled something incoherent before turning and walking back up the stairs to the police station. He opened the door and ushered me inside. 

I walked into the lobby, finding it buzzing with Brotherhood Scribes. Danse was behind the desk, speaking to Scribe Haylen, power armor-clad and in his element. He looked up and immediately locked eyes with me, a knowing smirk starting to spread on his face. He moved from the desk to meet me. 

I smiled at him as he approached, “Quite an entrance your Brotherhood knows how to make. I had a good view of the airship from Fort Hagen last night.” 

“Remarkable, isn’t it?” Danse smiled, “We call our ship ‘The Prydwen.’ She’s loaded with enough troops and supplies to mount a major offensive. And if she’s here, Elder Maxson’s here, and that means we’re going to war. But my question is,” his smile turned serious, eyebrows knitting together, “are you here for the same reason I think you are?” 

“Yes, sir,” I smirked, trying to keep myself calm and collected. “I’ve decided to join.” 

“It’s a good thing I’ve already sent my report from our op at ArcJet to Elder Maxson, which included my assessment of you, just in case you decided to join us.” He had the cockiest smirk on his face, but also maybe a tad bit of relief in his eyes. “Haylen, radio up to the Prydwen, let them know she’s here.”

“Yes, sir,” Haylen said with a tone of amusement. 

“Welcome to the Brotherhood, Initiate,” Danse smirked down to me. 

“Thank you, Paladin,” I smirked up at him. 

Knight Rhys rounded the corner, stopping to look at me with a sneer, “ _Wow._ You look worse than normal." He scanned me up and down, looking at all of my visible bruises. "Surprised you came back.” 

“Thanks, I’ve been busy hunting the Institute's attack dog,” I rolled my eyes at him. 

“ _ Rhys _ ,” Danse snapped, to which the Knight straightened immediately, “That’s enough. Like it or not, you’re going to have to learn to work together. Roxi’s one of us now. And you,” He turned to me, causing me to straighten as well, “Now that you’re within our ranks, I’m warning you now that I’ll be tougher on you as your superior officer. Is that understood?” 

“Yes, sir,” I said, trying to ignore the fact that, deep down, I was enjoying his demanding side- his superior officer side that he had dulled towards me before this. 

“We’re not soldiers of fortune,” Danse softened a little but kept an intensity that forced my eyes to stay locked onto his. “We’re an army. And we’ve dedicated our lives to uphold a strict code of ethics. If you intend to stay within our ranks, you need to obey our tenets without question.” 

“That won’t be a problem, sir.” 

“Perfect,” he looked pleased, the intensity dropping almost immediately. The change in his demeanor sent chills down my arms. “Then there’s no need to give you a long lecture.” 

“Sir, if I may?” Haylen said from the desk. 

“Proceed, Haylen.” 

“Orders came through for you- they want you and Rox-  _ uh _ , Initiate Andrews to report to the Prydwen immediately.” 

“Thank you, Haylen.” Danse turned to me, “Looks like you’ll get to know the Prydwen up close and personal. Follow me to the roof. We’re going for a little ride,” He smiled. 

I couldn’t help but let my excited grin come out, especially after that smile he gave me. He looked just as excited to show me the Brotherhood’s airship as I was to get aboard. I followed the Paladin from the lobby, making sure I sent a cocky smirk towards Knight Rhys and a big smile towards Scribe Haylen as I passed. 

As we started to ascend the staircase in the back of the station, Danse peeked over his shoulder and said, “I noticed didn’t bring Dogmeat along.” 

“Oh...yeah,” I said with a touch of melancholy. “I didn’t know what to expect at first, so I’m having a friend watch him for now.” 

“He’s a good dog, but for now I think you made the right call. Once you’re settled in I’m sure Captain Kells will allow Dogmeat aboard.” He opened the roof access door, “Have you ever been in a vertibird?” 

“No, sir, this is definitely a first time for me.” 

I followed Danse to the vertibird. He barely missed a beat stepping up into the aircraft. With my shorter stature, I started to eye up how I was going to climb aboard. Danse held out his metal hands to me. As I reached up to take his hands, he grasped underneath my arms and hoisted me into the cabin with ease, setting me down on my feet. 

“Thank you, Paladin.”

“No worries,” He smirked. He handed me a headset and pointed to the middle seat against the back wall, “Put these on, and hang on tight.” 

The pilots communicated with each other over the headset before firing up the engines. The vertibird roared to life and lifted from the ground. Within seconds, we were pulling away from the police station while simultaneously gaining altitude. As we started to fly past CIT, I couldn’t help but lean in my seat, trying to catch a glimpse. 

Danse had taken notice of my curiosity, speaking thought the mic of his headset, “The Commonwealth looks different from up here, doesn't it?” I merely nodded, looking up at him from my seat. “It never ceases to amaze me how  _ drastically  _ your perception of the battlefield changes from the air. I wish everyone down there believed in our cause...but they’ve been blinded by rumors and misinformation. They don’t realize that the Brotherhood of Steel is the Commonwealth’s last hope for survival. If we fail, it’s only a matter of time before the enemy overwhelms the population.”

“Like the synths, right?” 

“Synths. Ghouls. Super Mutants. And every other abomination that poses a threat. Cleansing the Commonwealth is our duty, I will gladly spill my own blood if it ensures our victory.” He went silent for a moment, looking around the sights below us. “We’re on final approach to the airport. We’ll be meeting Lancer-Captain Kells on the flight deck. Just stick close to me and answer all of his questions.” 

“Gotcha,” I said. “I can’t lie and say I’m not nervous.” 

He let out a hum of amusement, “You’ll do just fine.” The vertibird made a wide turn, bringing the Prydwen into view. “There she is,” Danse said almost breathlessly. “It’s been far too long since I’ve been aboard.” 

The pilots maneuvered the vertibird underneath of the airship and in line for one of the machinal arms to grab hold. I could hear the mechanical arm extending downwards, followed by a sudden shake of the vertibird. The pilots killed the engines, and the mechanical arm brought the vertibird into its dock. 

I pulled off my headset, feeling a new level of apprehension kick in. Danse stepped out of the vertibird and onto the flight deck, looking around at the base below. I thanked the pilots as I passed them, to which they returned the gesture and welcomed me to the Brotherhood. At the edge of the vertibird, Danse held out his arm, to which I took and hopped down onto the deck. It was then that I realized how high up this goddamn airship was and felt rather weak in the knees. My first reaction was to grab the handrail beside me, but that caused me to look down off the side of the deck; I felt dizzy. My next urge was to sit down in the middle of the deck, never to move again. 

Danse must have noticed my reaction, “Don’t worry, no one has ever fallen off of the Prydwen before. Come on, follow me.” 

I took a deep breath and followed the Paladin. Standing on the catwalk was a very stern-looking man with his arms folded behind his back. I assumed this was Lancer-Captain Kells that Danse had mentioned earlier. 

“Permission to come aboard, sir?” Danse asked as we approached the man. I could hear the smile in his voice when he said it, just as casual as a hello. 

“Permission granted,” the Captain saluted with his arm across his chest, “and welcome back, Paladin. Allow me to be the first to congratulate you on a successful mission.” His skeptical eyes fell upon me, “And is this our new recruit?” 

“Yes, sir.” Danse’s eyes traveled to me, “I’ve field promoted her to Initiate and I’d like to sponsor her into our rankings personally.” 

“Yes, we’ve read your reports. You’ll be pleased to know that Elder Maxon’s approved your request, and placed the recruit in your charge.” 

“Thank you, sir. And my current orders?” 

“You are to remain on the Prydwen and await further instructions.”

“Very good, sir. Ad Victoriam, Captain,” Danse saluted. 

“Ad Victorim, Paladin,” Kells saluted back. He then turned to me, “So. You’re the one Paladin Danse has taken under his wing. Hmph. You don’t look like much of a soldier to me.” 

I didn’t know what to say, or even how to react. I wasn’t prepared for this time of scrutinizing, so all could choke out was a stuttering, “I’m sorry, sir.” 

It was obviously the wrong answer. Kells looked down upon me with knitted eyebrows, his voice growing even sterner. “Paladin Danse submitted a  _ very  _ thorough report about your mission together. He mentioned in the report that you were highly intelligent with an expansive knowledge of robotics and computer operating systems. He also stated that your combat skills were, and I quote, ‘second to none.’ In conclusion, he seems to think you’ll make a fine addition to the Brotherhood. Now, you might think that an endorsement like that would grant you some leniency with us, but let me make one thing clear- I will not allow our mission here in the Commonwealth to be jeopardized by someone who believes they’re more valuable than our cause. Do I make myself clear?” 

“Absolutely,” I said, feeling like my knees could buckle at any moment.

“Good. Your orders are to proceed to Elder Maxson- he wishes to have a word with you. Dismissed, Initiate.” 

I turned immediately, heart still pounding in my chest, and made my way to Danse. He watched as I approached him with a raised eyebrow. I gave him a nervous smile. 

He huffed something of a laugh, “That wasn’t so bad now, was it?” 

“Ha-ha,” I forced out. “I’m supposed to go see Elder Maxson now.” 

“Then let’s not keep him waiting.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was written and edited to the following:  
> Nowhere Kids- Shinedown  
> Boss Bitch- Doja Cat  
> Darkness- Eminem  
> Captain- MiyaGi  
> Blinding Lights- The Weeknd  
> Making Love to the Dead- Beginners


	15. Chapter 15

#  **Roxi**

Danse and I stood outside of the command room where I was to meet Elder Maxson. He was currently addressing a group of Knights; once he was finished I would then have my chance to meet him. I was nervous- cracking my knuckles and biting my lip. Danse watched my nervous habits with a certain degree of amusement. 

“Do I look okay? Is my hair a wreck?” I whispered to the Paladin.

“You look fine. Stop panicking,” He returned. 

I pressed my lips into a thin line, “I can’t.” 

I couldn’t do much about the bruises and healing cuts on my face. I could curse this world up and down for the lack of a make-up industry as I could really use some foundation at the moment. I wanted to look at least half put together to meet the Elder, even though I’m sure he was used to seeing  _ much _ worse. In a meager attempt to ready myself, I pulled my hair out of my ponytail holder, running my fingers through it, before pulling it all back together into a tight high ponytail. I took my bandana from my neck and folded it to use as a headband, tying it in a bow. 

The meeting let out just as I was adjusting my bandana, and I felt my stomach drop. A knight that stood guard for the Elder called us forward. Danse took the lead, and I followed closely behind, trying to steady my breathing. 

Elder Maxson stood with his back to us, peering out one of the windows that overlooked Boston. He turned when we entered, a drink in his hand, one arm folded behind his back. I tried to stand with confidence as the Elder’s eyes scanned me from head to toe. 

“Elder,” Paladin Danse saluted. 

“Welcome back, Paladin,” The Elder saluted back. “Congratulations on a successful mission. And I assume that this is the new recruit that helped you?”

“Yes, sir. May I introduce Roxi Andrews. Initiate Andrews, this is Elder Maxson.” 

“It’s a pleasure, sir,” I was able to say through my breathtaking anxiety. 

“The pleasure is all mine,” The Elder smirked. “Paladin, I’ll send Initiate Andrews to find you after we conclude our meeting.” 

“Of course, sir,” Danse said. He turned and left after the Elder officially dismissed him. 

I took the moment to look over the Elder. He was closer to my age than I had anticipated but looked rather tough and rugged. His blue eyes shined against the dark contrast of his black hair and scruffy beard. The large scar on his face was an eyebrow-raiser for sure, starting at his cheekbone and curving down his cheek and disappearing into his beard. 

“Would you care for a drink?” The Elder offered. 

“Oh,” I said, surprised, “Yes, please. Thank you, sir.” 

He smirked, going to his stash of drinks and poured a glass of wine. “I know you are new to us, and that Paladin Danse hasn’t had the proper time to whip you into soldier shape. So, for our first meeting, I’ll allow it to be... _ informal _ .” He handed me the wine, to which I thanked him again. “As you know by now,” his gruff voice sending me bolt straight, “I’ve read Paladin Danse’s report from your mission at ArcJet Systems. He is my most trusted field officer, and I have the utmost respect for his judgment. He is very impressed with your skills, as is Captain Kells. But, it isn’t your skills that I am most impressed with. No,” his expression softened. “I am most impressed by your kind-hearted actions that gave my soldiers the chance to survive. Not only did you help them fight off a horde of ferals without asking for anything in return, but you provided them with supplies that they desperately needed, and helped secure the transmitter, that- ultimately- helped us move our division here to the Commonwealth. So, without your help, we would not be here, and we owe you many thanks for that.” 

I felt my cheeks beginning to flush, “I never thought twice about my actions. I was happy to help.” 

“There aren’t many people left in this world with that attitude. But, I’m sure you have already figured that out.”

I huffed a laugh, “I learned that rather quickly.”

“And you’re a vault dweller?” 

“Technically speaking, yes,” I nodded before taking a sip of my wine.

“You’re not the first vault dweller to work with the Brotherhood of Steel,” He smirked. “But your vault experience is different from theirs. Cryostasis, from what Danse reported. And that makes you over two-hundred years old. But you don’t look a day over twenty-three.”

I smiled shyly, “Twenty-five. My birthday was...just a few days ago,” I realized as I was saying the words that I had completely missed my own birthday. “Would I be so bold to assume that you’re close to my age?” 

“You would be correct, five years difference... _technically_ _speaking_ ,” He smirked over his glass of whiskey. _Oh God, was he flirting with me?_

__ “Impressive,” I smiled, “to be Elder at such a young age. You must have an  _ incredible  _ record.” _Oh God, was I flirting back?_

He gave a cocky smile, “It’s a tale for another time. Let’s talk about your vested interest in the Institute. Danse mentioned the...family matter of why you’re hunting the Institute. But, for my own curiosity, what is your opinion of them?”

I sighed, leaning against the railing along the line of windows. “Plainly speaking, I think they’re pet synth project is utterly fatuous- not to mention it’s a heinous act of robotics. And their  _ pusillanimous  _ efforts to stay hidden from the world is downright insulting. They obviously have the technological superiority to make things right in this world, but they aren’t using it for the benefit of anyone.” 

Elder Maxson looked at me with approval in his eyes, “I believe you’re going to adjust quite well to our ways. With that being said, to commend you for your efforts with Paladin Danse’s recon team, I’m granting you the rank of Knight. With your promotion, you’ll be given a set of power armor to wear on the battlefield as we take on the Institute.”

“Thank you, Elder. I won’t let you down.” 

Once my meeting with the Elder drew to a close, I was dismissed to find Danse and to meet the crew. I found Danse in the mess hall, out of his suit of power armor, looking rather relaxed. 

“So, how did your meeting go?” Danse asked as I took a seat across from him. 

“Alright, I suppose,” I sighed. “He promoted me to Knight.” 

Danse smiled, but only for a second, as he became serious again. “I just hope you appreciate how much of a chance I’m taking bringing you into the fold this quickly.”

“Of course,” I smiled sweetly. “I won’t let you down, Danse. I promise.” 

His expression softened again, “Good. Now, what are your orders, Knight?”

I blushed at the sound of him calling me by my new title, “I’m supposed to meet the crew.” 

“Ah, yes,” he nodded. “Knight-Captain Cade will have a medical evaluation for you.”

“ _ Ugh _ , not cool,” I rolled my eyes and smiled so he knew I wasn't being serious. 

He smirked but eyed me with a look that told me that I needed to behave. “Come on, let’s get you acquainted with the Prydwen.” 

****

AD-115K was my Brotherhood of Steel Registration, and it shined proudly on my newly issued holotags. Along with my holotags and registration, I was also given my own orange Brotherhood flight suit, a new utility belt, and a pair of army boots.

Danse and I created a routine through the following weeks after I joined the Brotherhood. It was the best I had felt since leaving the vault- mentally, emotionally, and eventually physically. If we weren’t assigned to a mission, like clearing out Fort Strong or escorting a Scribe for data extraction, we followed our regimen like a religion. 

Every day at sunrise, I met Danse outside of his quarters before leaving the base for a morning run. Each day we added on a half-mile to our run until the round trip equaled ten miles. Our runs were, of course, weather dependent. Either we would have to fall back to base early or wait until the weather cleared up if it didn’t intrude on our daily tasks.

At first, the runs left me a gasping, sweaty mess. Danse was a fantastic coach through it all, allowing me to take breaks but also pushing me enough to conquer the runs. By the time we had reached our ten-mile mark, I was able to run at Danse's set pace and hold a conversation through it. We only took a short breather at our turnaround point.

Once back on the Prydwen, we'd head to the mess hall for breakfast. After eating, we would walk down to the showers and get ourselves cleaned up. Our patrol rounds were in the evening, which gave us the entire late-morning and afternoon to work on bringing me up to Brotherhood Knight standards. 

Two times a week, Danse and I would find a quiet place to sit and review the Brotherhood of Steel Codex, etiquette, and their history. Most days we ended up sitting in his quarters; he would sit backward in his desk chair while I sat cross-legged on his bed. These “history lessons,” as I called them, would almost always go off on some tangent about the way things were before the Great War. Danse had an almost child-like wonder about the days before the fallout; I thought it was cute.

Three days out of the week were spent training. Some days we worked on weapons and power armor training- this my least physical day. It was also my best time to get used to the .45 pistol I bought off of Proctor Tegan. The other days consisted of strength, tactical, or endurance training. Once a week, they held voluntary hand-to-hand combat matches with older Squires, Initiates and newly appointed Knights. Basically, it was an excuse to kick the living shit out of each other in front of our superiors without repercussions. It was rumored that Elder Maxson and Lancer-Captain Kells would often watch the matches from the Prydwen.

I didn’t participate in the matches at first as I felt useless without a gun or a knife. It wasn’t until Danse practically pushed me into the ring where I had to prove myself. I was paired up with an Initiate that had been undefeated in his fights. He was well over six feet tall with at least a hundred pounds on me. The fight lasted less than two minutes. 

When the bell rang to indicate the start of the fight, I had no idea what to do. The first few seconds consisted of me dodging blows. The guy clocked me in the face, despite my best attempts to avoid him and find an opening to strike first. His forceful punch knocked me on my ass, leaving me with a black eye, but also awakening the white-hot rage from within. I got to my feet, cracked my neck, and squared my shoulders. After that embarrassment, I unleashed hell- keeping him on the defense with kicks and punches. I was able to land a hard punch into his abdomen, causing him to hunch over. I quickly grabbed a hold of his shirt, put my shoulder underneath his armpit, throwing him over my back and onto the ground. He hit the concrete with a satisfying  _ thud _ ! I’m not sure if he was just shocked, or truly unable to stand, but the match was called, and I was standing over my opponent victorious. 

A stunned silence had fallen over the spectators. They stared at me in disbelief- all except Paladin Danse. He was hiding a proud smirk behind his hand as he stroked his beard. I happened to look skyward, catching my breath, only to find the silhouette of Elder Maxson leaning across the flight deck’s handrails. 

On our one “off” day, Danse and I would preoccupy ourselves with work that Proctor Ingram needed help with such as power armor repairs or even quality testing. I liked Proctor Ingram- she was rough around the edges but incredibly knowledgeable. I think she started to like me more when I had a chance to let my know-how shine while working in her shop. I even drew up blueprints of new gadgets for the power armor suits and built prototypes for her and her team.

Danse and I had become rather good friends after spending almost every waking moment together for several weeks. One day while on our morning run, we hit our turnaround point, stopping to rest and drink water. Danse had seemed rather distracted this morning as he was not holding particularly long conversations and running slower than normal. As we rested, I noticed he was overlooking the water of the river. 

“Pretty day,” I said, enjoying the early morning sun and clear sky. 

“Yes, it is,” He said dully. 

I looked him over for a long moment. His eyebrows were knitting together- he was thinking hard about whatever was bothering him. “What’s on your mind, Danse?” 

He let out a heavy sigh, dropping his eyes to the ground, but did not answer me for a few minutes. I started to believe that I was about to receive some bad news with his long pause. Finally, he leaned against the railing before him and looked out to the water. “I’ve been thinking about a patrol that had disappeared before my recon team came here. I want to know what happened to them. I know their families would want to know what happened to them.”

“Well, how do we go about finding them?”

“I’m positive that the Elder would approve if I asked. And I think you’re more than capable of handling yourself. It would just be the two of us heading out for this mission. Do you think you can handle that?” 

“Yes, sir,” I smiled confidently. “I think it’s very admirable that you want to do this.”

His serious expression softened, “Thank you, Roxi.” 

We stared into each other’s eyes for a long moment. He had a habit of softening his expressions when he looked at me. His entire face would relax- his eyebrows, his scrutinizing eyes...the slightest of smiles would pull at his lips. I was sure that I did the same. When we caught each other’s gaze, I would smile sweetly at him, looking upwards as he was much taller than I. In these moments, any stress or tension I was holding melted away. He had quickly become one of the closest friends I had in my lifetime. There was something about him that allowed me to be myself- to open up and feel like pre-war me again. It was moments like this that I wanted nothing more but to reach out for his hand. But I reserved myself- he was my friend, but also my commanding officer. Some lines just couldn’t be crossed. 

“Come on,” I said, breaking eye contact first. “Race ya back to base.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was written and edited to the following:   
> A Little Less Conversation- Elvis Presley  
> Godzilla- Eminem  
> Blinding Lights- The Weeknd  
> Piece of Your Heart- Meduza feat. Goodboys  
> Seve- Tez Cadey   
> Stupid Love- Lady Gaga


	16. Chapter 16

#  **Roxi**

_October 22, 2288_

  
  


Elder Maxson immediately approved Danse’s request to look for the lost patrol. We skipped our morning run to pack up our gear and prepare for the mission. Just as we were about to leave, Knight-Captain Cade and Lancer-Captain Kells had pulled Paladin Danse aside to discuss an urgent matter. They kept their voices low enough so that no one would overhear the conversation. When the meeting concluded, Danse turned around with knitted eyebrows, scratching his chin with contemplation. He shook his head as if dismissing the conversation he had just held and looked at me with a small smile. 

“Is everything alright?” I asked. 

He snorted, “Classified.” He turned his head to see if there was anyone around, then nodded towards the ladder before whispering, “I’ll tell you when we get off base.” 

We hopped onto a Vertibird that would take us north to Malden, where Danse believed the team would have stayed during their deployment. I knew the area decently, as Med-Tek Research was only a few miles outside of town. The ride took about fifteen minutes before the vertibird touched down to let us off. Once on the ground, my Pip-Boy immediately picked up a weak distress signal. We started our walk, listening to the distress signal quietly beep.

“In regards to that conversation I had with Cade and Kells,” Danse started, clearing his throat, “some of the Squires that are close to promotion have been...disorderly. Their disruptive behavior will cause a setback on being promoted, but truth be told, they’re at each other's throats.” 

“Cabin fever?” I asked, looking up to the Paladin as we walked along the old broken down road. 

“Perhaps,” he dragged out the word as if he contemplated the idea of it. “The older Squires haven’t been in wartime since they were small. The trip to the Commonwealth would have been taxing enough, but now their parents- if they’re alive, are deployed on missions and they aren’t accustomed to that type of stress.”

“And I’m sure they’re hormones are raging since they’re all in their teenage years.”

“Yes, that too. Cade and Kells have tried their best to choke this behavior out, but it has thus far been a temporary fix. They just informed me of a fight that happened last night on base. Elder Maxson has had just about enough of this behavior. But we are all at a loss of how to handle this. It isn’t like they were recruited into the Brotherhood- they were born into it. We need our soldiers for the fight against the Institute, but nothing we have done so far has snapped them out of it. Not to mention that this is a huge distraction to the parents- they’re trying to do their duty on the battlefield, but they’re also upset over their out of line children.” 

“Sounds to me like they need an off-base training course, Paladin. Like, take them out somewhere isolated enough that they have to rely on their training and on each other, but close enough to remain in contact with the Prydwen in case of an emergency. Like a summer camp but for Squires,” I snickered. 

Danse hummed to himself for a moment. I thought he was going to drop the subject and take my suggestion as the joke it was, but then he calmly said, “That’s not a bad idea, Knight.” 

I eyed him with a raised eyebrow, “Seriously?” 

“I might have you pitch the idea to Maxson upon our return.”

My heart immediately pounded with anxiety, a numbness spreading across my chest. I stared up at the Paladin with wide, frightened eyes. “M-m- _me_?”

“Well, it was _your_ idea.” 

“Oh _God_ ,” I groaned. 

“Why are you so scared of Maxson? He finds you to be very promising.” 

“He terrifies me,” I said quietly. 

I recalled both Maxson’s passion for the Brotherhood, but also his sly attempt at flirting with me. He reminded me of my ex-boyfriend from college in more ways than one. Just the thought sent shivers down my spine. It was the ever-piercing eyes- watchful. Watchful in the way that made one feel like they were guilty of non-existent reasons... 

I quickly shook the thoughts from my head, trying to keep the thoughts of my ex and Maxson from my head. Instead, I thought of Danse and the way he treated me. He was strict during training, but it wasn’t done out of hostility. He had the perfect blend of tough love and positive support that I responded incredibly well towards. 

“Do I terrify you?” Danse said, pulling me from my thoughts. He stopped walking and turned to face me, an eyebrow raised upon a rather worried face. 

“At first,” I said shyly.

“And now?” 

I chuckled, “Not as much.” Danse’s face turned from worried to shocked and pained. “I’m _kidding_ ,” I laughed, grasping his power armored arm. Relief washed over the Paladin’s expression immediately. “I...actually consider you one of my closest friends. I just...don't know how you feel about that.” 

Danse gave a small smile, “I...feel the same. I just...well, I told you what happened to my friend Cutler. I don’t want to go through losing someone I have a bond with again. It’s a good feeling to be close with someone once more but…” he shrugged, “that kind of pain changes you.”

I felt the heat rise to my face as I thought about what I was going to say. “Danse, I...I don’t know what the future holds. I can’t say that nothing bad will ever happen, because this world has dangers hidden at every turn. But what I can promise you is that I care about you. I care about you a _lot_. And you have been such a huge influence on me since we met. I don’t think you realize how dark of a place I was in when I ran in to help kill those ferals. I didn’t care if I lived, or if I died. And you pulled me out of it. And _I_ owe it to you to make good of that.”

“I...didn’t know that you felt so strongly about...well...about _us_.” 

“Danse, I-”

The beeping on my Pip-Boy suddenly spiked in strength. Danse and I snapped right back into soldier mode and pushed onwards, listening to the beeps increasing as we inched closer to the site. We came about a blown-out building with a black charred crater in the center. There were several suits of Brotherhood power armor partially buried into the ground. Danse looked over the remains as I kept watch. When he returned, he had a holotape and a set of holotags.

I played the holotape in my Pip-Boy, to which we discovered that this explosion was deliberate to protect the technology of the Brotherhood from an assaulting group. The news was a surprise to Danse, who had pieced together the events much faster than I. As his mind was quickly figuring out the puzzle of this lost patrol, my mind was still horrified at the thought of self-destructing in a suit of power armor. 

We moved on to the next site- a military base that was overrun with feral ghouls and active turrets. Inside of the main building of the base, it smelled like decaying flesh and other unpleasant scents of rot. Danse found the remains of another Knight with a holotape and holotags. Upon playing the tape, we discovered that she was left alone and otherwise defenseless against a horde of ferals.

The tape gave us an idea of where to head next, and we wasted no time heading out. Upon reaching a satellite array, we found it was occupied by Super Mutants. We had to draw them out of their base to help our chance of survival. One by one we took the Mutants out, either weakening them by throwing grenades or peppering them with shots. The last three Mutants rushed the gates of their camp, one of which was carrying an active mini-nuke. I had to concentrate my shot on the one sprinting towards us with a nuclear weapon in hand- I took a deep breath and pulled the trigger upon exhale. My laser shot hit the mini-nuke and blew up the last surviving Super Mutants in a bright orange mushroom cloud.

Danse took point as we moved through the Super Mutant camp. We found a Scribe from the recon team who had bled out after being hit by a bullet. His holotape mentioned Paladin Brandis and a fallback bunker, which Danse immediately concluded would be our next target.

We left the satellite array, traveling north until we found a quiet place to sit and regroup. Danse used my Pip-Boy to locate the bunker he believed would have been the fallback point for Paladin Brandis. Our daylight was fleeting- there wasn’t enough time to make it to Sanctuary to stay the night, so we would have to find a place to camp for the night. 

Along our northern route, we found a section of an overpass that seemed to be in decent structural shape. We climbed to the top of the overpass by way of the dilapidated road ruins and a semi-truck that made a path for us. Within thirty minutes, our camp was set up and functional. Our tent was pitched with bedrolls in place. A fire was burning hot several feet away from the tent. A pot hung just above the fire, boiling water to make stew. I cooked dinner while Danse put all of our travel gear away. He took off his power armor and sat down next to me beside the campfire. 

After we ate dinner, we talked until the sun had set. My Pip-Boy was tuned to Diamond City Radio, playing softly in the background. Once the sky was dark, I let my mind wander. I shouldn’t have, but I couldn’t stop thinking about those soldiers' last moments. Thinking about those soldiers' last moments made me think about what would have happened if the vault platform never lowered and I was overcome by nuclear fire. Thinking about the nuclear fire made me think of what horrible fate befell my parents and brothers aboard a plane en route to Boston. Thinking about how my family perished made me think of Danse putting his friend Cutler down after being turned into a Super Mutant. My thoughts spiraled downward into darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there! I just wanted to add a little blurb here and take a second to thank everyone who takes the time out of their day to read my updates! I never expected to have the response that this work has generated. So thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
> 
> (I may have, also, kinda-sorta, commissioned a fantastic artist to work their magic for an upcoming chapter scene and I'd love to share it with you all when the time comes!)
> 
> Also, I think we all know the current situation of the world. I am a healthcare worker- with the increase of tension/stress, I haven't been able to write as much as I'd like. So, unfortunately, my posts *might* become biweekly instead of weekly, but we shall see! As of now, I have a few chapters typed up and ready for proofreading to last a few more posts. 
> 
> Thank you all again! And stay safe!
> 
> This chapter was written and edited to the following:  
> Rodeo- Lil Nas feat. Nas  
> Devil, Devil- MILCK  
> Making Love to the Dead- Beginners


	17. Chapter 17

#  **Danse**

“ _ Maybe I didn’t hold you, all those lonely, lonely times. And I guess I never told you, I’m so happy that you’re mine…”  _

I picked up on Roxi’s disassociation when she didn’t sing along to the Elvis song playing on her Pip-Boy. She always sang Elvis Presley or Dion songs when they came on the air. She had her knees pulled up to her chest, staring blankly into the fire with wide eyes and chewing on the inside of her lip. I tried pulling her from her thoughts, calling her by her rank. It didn’t snap her out of it. I tried again, this time a little bit louder- but nothing. 

“ _ Roxi _ ,” I finally tried. 

She jumped slightly and blinked rapidly, coming back to the present. “Hmm?” Her eyes turned up to me, “I’m sorry, did you say something?” 

I couldn’t hide the worry on my face, “What's on your mind?” 

She stared at me for several moments- her eyes looked melancholy and tired. She dropped her gaze and shrugged her shoulders, “I guess just today.” She was lying. I could tell by the way she spoke- flat and lifeless. 

“If you need to talk, I’m here to listen.” 

She looked up to me for another moment before looking back into the fire. “I just keep thinking about...I don’t know.” She sighed heavily, “What if I was in the same position as those soldiers were? Where the only alternative was blowing yourself up. I don’t know what I would do. I mean...I know  _ why  _ he did it. I just...never thought about something like that before.” 

I took a moment before answering, “The situation they were faced with was...a difficult one. Technology must be protected, no matter the cost.”

“I have to find Shaun,” Roxi said sharply. There were tears in her eyes. “I  _ have  _ to. I...can’t have what happened to them happen to us.” 

“I don’t intend to lead us into the same mistakes that team made.”

“I know,” she said softly. Wiping away the tears before they could spill over. She took a shuddering breath, “I trust you.” 

The words took the air from my lungs. I couldn’t give her a good reply, so I only provided her with a small smile before turning my eyes to the fire. She trusted me. I had made decisions in the past that ended in the deaths of four of my soldiers. She knew the stories- and she still trusted me. She trusted me to help her get to her nephew. To help her through the dangers of this wasteland. To...keep her safe…? No, she could handle herself, and I knew that; I shook the thought from my head. 

Although, a peculiar tightness twisted in my chest. Today alone, Roxi had admitted two things I did not expect to hear for anyone: she cared about me, and she trusted me. I dwelled on these thoughts for a long time, only interpreted when Roxi stood and stretched out her whole body. 

“Who’s taking first watch?” She asked. 

“I will,” I said, looking up into her tired eyes. “Get some rest.” 

She kicked off her boots on the outside of the tent and crawled inside. I listened as she shuffled around for a few minutes as she changed her clothes and then tried to get comfortable on her bedroll. Once she settled down, the rest of the world was silent and dark outside of the crackling warm fire before me.

From the tent, Roxi must have accidentally turned on the light of her Pip-Boy, breaking the silence with, “Ah! Fuck.  _ Bright _ .” 

I had to suppress my laugh.

Once my shift for watch was over, I crouched down in front of the tent’s mouth and roused Roxi from her sleep. Despite an unpleasant groan, she crawled out of the tent and stretched her body without protest. I laid down on my bedroll and listened to Roxi shuffle about outside. She must have put another log on the fire, as the yellow-orange glow suddenly brightened and slowly faded. 

I closed my eyes, unable to keep my mind off of Roxi and everything that she admitted to me today. It was nearly impossible, as her bedroll next to mine was still warm and smelled like the mutfruit soap concoction she used back at base. There was no use fighting it. At least thinking of her was pleasant and chased away the horrible memories and anxieties that plagued me. 

I thought about the first time she showed up at the police station, and how much her already remarkable fighting skills had improved since joining the Brotherhood. I thought about the time she flipped Initiate Dennis on his back during their fight, and how proud I was of her. I thought about how she hated wearing power armor because it made her feel trapped, but she would wear it if I asked. 

I thought about the feeling I experienced every time I looked at her sitting on my bed inside my quarters, or when she smirks and rolls her eyes. I shouldn’t allow those things to happen- but instead of feeling like I needed to correct her...I wanted...something against decorum. I shook these thoughts from my head- she was under my sponsorship, and I needed to remember that.

The sleep I was able to get was light and uncomfortable. Once the morning sun began to rise, I crawled from the tent to find that Roxi had already started making breakfast. The sun was starting to rise, casting streaks of pinks and purples across the sky. We ate our breakfast, then quickly cleaned up our camp and moved out. 

Our second day in the search was cut short due to inclement weather- a thunderstorm began a quick and heavy downpour to which we had to quickly find cover in an old treehouse. We set up our tent canvas inside the treehouse, hanging it from the ceiling and tying some of the straps down to the exposed beams along the sides of the walls. My power armor barely fit into the door of the treehouse, but I was able to use the armor to block the doorway.

Roxi peeled off her wet uniform once our cover was secure. I turned my back to her and allowed her the privacy to change, even though she didn’t request it. Once she was changed into the clothes she wore for bed, I turned myself back around. 

We stayed under the cover of the tent on our bedrolls. Roxi pulled out her textbook and started reading, but after about an hour and a half, she was asleep. I allowed her to nap for about two hours before rousing her.

“If you sleep much more you won’t be able to get any rest tonight,” I said when she glared at me for waking her. 

She groaned, but sat herself up and stayed awake.

Once the rain had slowed to a drizzle, it was too late in the evening to begin our travels again. The rain cooled off the air, providing a rare but enjoyable temperature. I went outside and tried to get a fire going, which took a few attempts but finally I was able to sustain a reasonable amount of flame to cook. Roxi stepped in and insisted on making dinner. Not long after she severed our meal, the sky grew dark with rain clouds and another storm began. 

We climbed into the treehouse, to which I blocked the entrance again with my power armor. Roxi and I sat on our bedrolls; I stripped my gun down to clean it, while she used the light of her Pip-Boy to read her textbook. She suddenly put down her textbook, looking up with an expression I could only describe as stunned realization. She snatched her Pip-Boy from her lap and turned off the light, staring at the screen for a moment before nodding to herself and turning the light back on and putting it back down. 

She was going through an internal monologue, I could tell by the series of facial expressions she held. First, she had a look of confusion, her mouth agape, eyes to the floor, an eyebrow raised. She then turned to an expression of reasoning, her eyes moving from the floor and across the room, lips pursed. Then she shrugged, rolling her eyes, then returned to her book. 

“Uh...Roxi, is there something on your mind?” I asked, having stopped cleaning to witness her sudden train of thought. 

She looked up to me with wide eyes, then began to laugh. “Oh,” She said while still giggling. “I just realized that today makes one year since I left the vault.” 

“Are...you okay?” 

“I’m fine. Why?”

“I just...watched you have an entire silent conversation with yourself.” 

She laughed, “ _ Oh _ . I do that a lot. I just thought, ‘Woah, wait what was today’s date?’ and then I realized that it had been a year already and I couldn’t believe it. Time flies, ya know?” 

I stared at her for a moment, “Are...you sure you’re okay?”

She fidgeted nervously, looking away, her fake cheerfulness dropping immediately. “I’m just trying not to think about that day too much.” 

“I understand,” I said, dropping the subject and returning to my gun. 

I finished cleaning my gun and put it off to the side. I happened to look up to Roxi, who still had her book open in her lap, but she was staring off into nothing again- that same haunted look from last night. She slowly marked her page and shut off the light on her Pip-Boy. She moved under her blankets and curled up within them, facing away from me. 

Looking over her curled up form, I couldn’t imagine the pain she must go through on a daily basis. She walked this land knowing what it was like before the end of the world- a mockery of what used to be. It had to constantly remind her of the life that she would never see again. Not to mention having lost everyone that she held dear. And these people of the wastelands...rough, unforgiving, just as the world had become. Roxi...she truly was the last glimmer of what used to be.

“Roxi,” I weakly called out to her. 

She rolled over enough to look at me over her shoulder, “What’s up?”

I didn’t know what to say, so I settled on, “You don’t have to suffer alone.”

She didn’t say anything for a few moments. She didn’t lie back down. In the darkness, I could feel her eyes on me. Slowly, she sat up; I could hear her wiping her face of what I guessed to be tears. I wondered if she was going to say anything, or if she was still trying to regain some composure. I heard her take a shuddering breath, and within the next moment, she threw her arms around me. She sobbed into my neck and shoulder as I wrapped my arms around her. I remembered the time that Haylen had done the same thing after losing yet another member of our team. I didn’t know what to do then, and I still hadn’t a clue what to do now. 

Her sobs lessened into a whimper after several minutes, head still resting on my shoulder, “I’m s-s-sorry, Danse.” 

“Sorry for what, Knight?” 

“I’m just not strong enough for this world,” she whispered.

My heart dropped. I pulled my arms tighter around her, “You’re stronger than you think, Roxi.” 

“I just...miss them all so much,” she sniffled. “And...I thought I was doing so much better with...everything. Coping.” 

“You are, Roxi. Today’s just not a good day. You’re a soldier- strong and smart, who can tackle any obstacle. You don’t have to hold this all in. You can...speak to me more than just as your commanding officer, I hope you know this.” 

She sniffled again, “Thank you, Danse.” 

She stayed in my arms until she dozed off. I tried to move her to her bedroll without waking her but failed. Roxi slowly woke up with the smallest of groans as I placed her down.

“It’s almost comical how fast you fall asleep,” I mused. 

Half asleep, Roxi mumbled, “I just feel safe with you.” 

Again, her words struck me by surprise. Roxi was asleep again within minutes. I sat back against the wall, watching her sleeping form. In an attempt to clear my thoughts, I straightened myself, trying to keep myself alert to keep watch. The temperature was quickly dropping with this second storm. Roxi tucked herself in tight, trying to keep warm, but was shivering. I had to lie down and cover up to save the rest of my body heat. The storm was dying down outside. The rain had become more rhythmic against the roof of the treehouse...

I must have fallen asleep, waking up to the loud whistling wind. I felt warm against the cold air, only to find that Roxi had brought herself close to me, combining our blankets and body heat. Her head rested against the side of my arm, a leg propped up on mine. She was sleeping peacefully and had stopped shivering; I wasn’t going to wake her, regardless of how inappropriate this would be considered. If this was anyone other than Roxi, this situation would be handled differently. But, of course, I found myself making exceptions for her, a habit that I needed to bring to a halt. Why was this so difficult for me? I shook off the frustration and allowed myself to fall back to sleep, listening to Roxi’s deep breathing. 

I woke a few hours later to the morning sun filtering through the window of the treehouse, hitting directly into our tent covering. Roxi stirred as well and quickly removed herself from my side. 

“I-I-I’m so sorry, Paladin,” She said, cheeks flushed red, eyes wide and fearful. 

I waved her off, “Don’t worry about it, Roxi. The drastic cold warranted unceremonious actions.”

She smiled weakly at me, “It was so cold last night...I never knew it would get so cold in this wasteland.” 

“The climate can be rather unpredictable at times. From what I’ve gathered, you would have faced much colder nights in your day.” 

“That’s for damn sure,” She snorted. “The snow is one thing I do not miss about the past. Not saying that a few mild temperature days aren’t a nice break from the heat- but I hated the goddamn snow.” 

We ate a small breakfast and packed up our gear, heading out for our third day of the search. We made good time with the day’s clear weather, coming upon the last leg of our journey by the afternoon. The bunker I believed Paladin Brandis would have sought out was hidden upon a windy path within the hills. There were active frag mines and bear traps along the path as we approached the bunker. Roxi and I remained vigilant as we carefully wound our way through the contraptions. 

Roxi hacked the computer on the outside of the bunker, looking at me before she hit the button to unlock the metal door. I gave her a nod, rifle at the ready to advance inside, and she hit the  _ enter _ key; the door immediately popped open. I stepped inside the bunker, Roxi closely behind with  _ Righteous Authority  _ in her hands.

“ _ Freeze! _ ” Yelled a man’s voice. “Take another step and I’ll...I’ll...I’ll blow your damn heads off!” 

This man was looking rather ragged and aged, waving his gun between Roxi and myself. His white hair and beard were kept messy and untrimmed. 

“Paladin Brandis?” I asked, barely able to recognize his face, but his voice was unmistakable. 

“Who are you? Who sent you? How’d you get in here?” Brandis demanded. 

“It’s Danse. Paladin Danse. Don’t you recognize me?” 

A hint of recognition sparked in Brandis’ eyes, “Danse? No, no, no, no,” he shook his head, “It can’t be. Why...why are you here?” 

“I was dispatched to the Commonwealth on a recon mission, Paladin. Just like yours.” 

“How did you find me? I’ve been alone...all alone, for so  _ long _ ,” He said the last word with anger and through gritted teeth. I thought for sure he was going to break and attack us; I kept a steady hand on my gun. 

Roxi spoke up, sweetly and not overbearing as I would have answered, “We followed the distress beacons left by your team, sir. Their holotapes led us here.” 

“The others!” His eyes light up. “What...what happened to them?” 

Roxi pulled the holotags she had been keeping in her pocket, “I’m sorry, Paladin. They’re dead. We...recovered their tags,” She held them out in her hands like an offering. 

“You...you did?” Brandis asked, finally lowering his gun. He started to reach his hand out as if to ask for the tags. Roxi slowly stepped closer to him and gently placed the tags in his outstretched hand. He looked them over, reading each one fondly. “Thank you,” He whispered before clearing his throat. “This means a lot to me.” 

I couldn’t help but smile at Roxi as she bowed her head, hands clasped together, and stepped back to her position behind me. I couldn’t have been more proud of her.

“I tried to go back for them, you know,” Brandis said, clutching the tags to his chest. “There was nothing I could do. Not alone. But...I hoped…” He trailed off. “You’ve been through a lot to find me. I need to repay my debt to you.” 

“Come back with us,” I said. “You’re still a member of the Brotherhood, Paladin.” 

“What?” Brandis chuckled, “No, no. I couldn’t. Not after everything that’s happened.” 

Roxi spoke up before I could, “The Brotherhood needs you, Paladin. No one knows the Commonwealth better than you. Your skills and knowledge would be an asset.” 

Brandis looked at her with a smile, “That’s very kind of you to say. But...it’s been too long...and I’m not the same.”

“Sir, with all due respect, I think your team would want you to rejoin. I think you should tell their story,” Roxi returned.

Brandis’ small smile turned to a tearful one, “You’re right. I’ll...I’ll do it for them. But...I need time to pack…”

“It’s getting late,” I said, “We can leave tomorrow- giving you time to pack and us time to rest.” 

“Perfect,” Brandis nodded with a smile. “I’ll start packing immediately.” 

Roxi helped Brandis with his packing and set up our bedrolls for the night. I went outside to start the first watch of the night. I sat on the hillside near the bunker, looking around at the Commonwealth. Tonight was a small victory. Not only did we secure Paladin Brandis, but I found myself feeling very proud of the up and coming Knight Andrews. This was our first mission as just the two of us, and so far it was successful. Of course, we had to make the trip back to the airport, but upon making it back I was positive that Roxi’s approval in the eyes of the superior officers would double- maybe even triple if Paladin Brandis spoke of how she convinced him to return.

The sun was setting in the distance, mixing the sky with tranquil and gorgeous colors. Something so beautiful seemed so out of place in this wasteland. I heard footsteps from behind me, to which I turned and found Roxi approaching with a bowl. 

“Hey, big guy,” she smirked, “I brought you some dinner.” 

“Oh. Thank you,” I smiled back, accepting the bowl. 

She took a seat next to me, fishing through her backpack for something. She pulled out two Nuka Cola bottles, handing me one. “So, what do you say, Paladin?” 

I popped the cap off of my bottle and handed it to Roxi, “In regards too?” 

“Brandis. Do you think the Brotherhood will take him back?” She popped the cap off her bottle with her teeth, spit out the cap, and took a swig.

“Not like that. He’ll be placed under observation until he’s fit for duty again. Still, you were right when you said his skills and knowledge of the Commonwealth make him an asset. He won’t be turned away.” 

“I think once he finds a way to be useful that he’ll come around.” 

“I agree,” I took a deep drink of the Nuka Cola. “You did well today, Knight.” 

Roxi smiled, looking down to the ground before looking at me again. Her hazel eyes seemed to catch the colors of the sunset within her irises, “Couldn’t have done it without you, Danse.” 

We held each other’s gaze for a moment. I wanted to tell her how proud I was of her. I remember her speaking about her parents on the way to ArcJet, and how she wanted them to be proud of her like her brothers that had enlisted into the Armed Forces. How could they have not been proud of her? She was smart and strong, set to make the world a better place- even if it was going to be two-hundred years into the future. I wanted to let her know that she...meant a lot to me. But I didn’t have the right words. I didn’t know how to tell her. 

Roxi raised her soda bottle, pulling me from my thoughts, “Ad Victorim, Paladin.” 

“Ad Victoriam, sister,” I tapped my bottle to hers and we both took a deep drink. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was written and edited to the following: 
> 
> Always on my Mind- Elivs Presley   
> Devil, Devil- MILCK  
> Last of the Real Ones- Fall Out Boy  
> Cheryl- Yung Gravy  
> Suspicious Minds- Elvis Presley  
> Mad- Hyper Crush


	18. Chapter 18

#  **MacCready**

_ October 27th, 2288 _

  
  


Charlie slowed his two cart-pulling brahmins to a stop outside the gates of Sanctuary Hills. One of the guards moved from their posts and met us on the outside of the gate. I hopped down from the cart, leaving Duncan in the middle of his grandparents. As the guard came closer, he looked us over with scrutiny. He looked familiar- I think his name was Preston. Roxi had introduced us the last time we visited, but I had so much on my mind about Duncan that I wasn’t paying much attention. 

“Welcome to Sanctuary,” He said with a friendly tone. “Are you traders?” 

I cleared my throat, “No, uh...I’m friends with Roxi. I think she introduced us once.” 

He looked me over for a long moment, “MacCready, was it?”

“Yeah, that’s me. Preston, right?”

“That’s right,” he said looking around the cart. “She sent us a letter a few months back. Said you might be bringing your family up. I just thought...she’d be with you.” 

“Oh...uh...no she isn’t with me. I haven’t spoken to her since I left for the Capital Wasteland.” 

“ _ Hm _ ,” Preston pressed his lips into a thin line. “We haven’t seen her since you guys stopped by last. I’m starting to get worried. Our provisioners haven’t seen her at the Diamond City market either; normally she meets them and gets any news updates from the settlements. But…” his eyes drifted off, looking over the bridge. “Well, let’s get you guys settled in. We picked out a plot you might be interested in. You’re more than welcome to stay in the motel until the construction is finished, free of charge, or pitch a tent. Whatever you feel more comfortable with.” 

Preston ordered the gates to be opened and led us inside. Charlie stopped the cart near the motel to untie the brahmin and lead them over to the feeding trough. Duncan hopped down and ran to be by my side. Mandy and Charlie looked around the small town as they joined the group, a look of wonder on both of their faces. They were given the grand tour of the town by Preston as we walked along to the empty plot of land he was talking about earlier. 

“It’s one of the last larger plots we have inside the walls,” Preston said, “but there’s room to put a nice sized house and some gardens. Of course, we’ll get the team down here to hook up the electricity when everything’s built.” 

“What do you think, Charlie?” I asked, shoving my hands in my pockets. 

He sighed, “Mandy, what say you?” 

Mandy looked over the property with tears in her eyes, “I think this will be very nice.”

“We can draw up plans tomorrow,” Preston said, “I think you guys should get some rest tonight.” 

“Thank you,” Charlie said, reaching out a hand and shaking Preston’s. “It’s a nice little town you’ve got yourself here.” 

Preston smiled, “Yeah, it’s a special place.” His eyes turned to me, “We couldn’t have started this without Roxi, that’s for sure.” 

Later that evening, after I tucked Duncan in for the night at the motel, I headed out to Penelope’s Pub. It was a lively little place with people sitting outside at the umbrella-covered tables on this fair-weather night. Inside, the tables were full, Diamond City Radio was on, people were conversing, and the smell of food made my stomach growl. Preston was sitting on a barstool at the bar, a beer in hand, looking rather depressed. When I stepped up to the bar and ordered my drink, he waved me over. 

“Evenin’,” I said, taking a seat on the open stool next to him.

“It’s a nice one, isn’t it? How’s your family settling in?” 

“I think they’ll get adjusted pretty quick,” I took a sip of my beer, enjoying the fact that it was cold instead of the normal warm stuff everyone else sold.

“Are they your parents?” 

“No, they’re my in-laws,” I shifted in my seat, trying to avoid Preston’s confused expression. “My wife died a while back...they were watching Duncan for me. He’s my son.” 

“I’m sorry to hear about your wife. And there is no mistaking that kid as yours- he looks just like you.” 

I smiled slightly thinking of my kid, “Thanks. He acts like me when I was that age, too.”

Preston chuckled, then took a deep drink from his beer. 

“ _ It’s a beautiful night out there in the Commonwealth, ain’t it folks? _ ” Travis said over the radio while the last song faded out. “ _ Now I have a request coming up for some Elvis Presley, but before we get to that, I just want to remind the early birds that Piper will be live first thing in the morning for you all. She’s got a great show lined up for tomorrow. And don’t forget to check out her latest issue of Publick Occurrences! There’s a great little survey in there for you to fill out and send in, which she’ll read live on the air! Without further ado, here’s Elvis Presley, ‘Suspicious Minds.’ _ ” 

Preston sighed heavily. “Roxi hasn’t even been on the morning radio show. I’m really worried about her. The last time she was on the air Piper was drilling her about having ‘met new friends,’” he air quoted. 

“New friends, huh?” I sneered. “Would that have been around the same time the Brotherhood showed up?”

Preston rolled his eyes, “You mean the flying ship with vertibirds buzzing around it? Nah, it was a few weeks before  _ they  _ showed up.” 

“Hmph. Maybe someone should go to Diamond City and try to find some answers then.” 

“You read my mind, Mac. Maybe we should go?” 

I contemplated it for a long moment, taking a long drink of my beer. “Let me get this new homestead started, and then we’ll talk about heading down there. Maybe she’ll turn back up.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I almost forgot I needed to post a chapter today (because I was distracted by playing Animal Crossings...)!
> 
> This chapter was written and edited to the following:   
> Stupid Love- Lady GaGa  
> Suspicious Minds- Elvis Presley


	19. Chapter 19

#  **Danse**

_ October 27th, 2288 _

“ _ We’re caught in a trap. I can’t walk out. Because I love you too much, baby _ ,” I heard Roxi’s singing before she neared my quarters. I was certain that the entire crew aboard the Prydwen could hear her singing. As she came closer, I could hear the song playing over her Pip-Boy.

I stood and opened the door, finding her dancing to the end of the song outside of my door with an unopened bottle of beer in each hand. “Evening, Knight,” I said, trying to sound disapproving and unenthused. 

She stopped dancing and looked up to me with a smile, handing over a beer bottle. “Evening, Paladin.” 

I laughed despite myself, letting her inside. 

Roxi immediately hopped onto my bed, kicking off her shoes and making herself comfortable. We planned on working on the report for our mission on the lost patrol tonight, and I needed to use Roxi’s Pip-Boy to playback the holotapes we had collected. We had returned to Base last evening and were awarded today off for bringing back Paladin Brandis. Upon our arrival, Brandis was taken directly to the medical team for evaluation. 

Roxi felt rather optimistic about Brandis’ return. She pointed out how well he traveled with us and his eagerness to be back. Although I wanted to agree with her, I still had my doubts about a quick return. He was mostly skin and bone, not to mention his mental health had diminished from the isolation. There was also the question if the rest of the Brotherhood would fall in line under him as Paladin with the mishap of his team now coming to light. 

The two of us worked on our report, getting off track now and then, sipping on the beer Roxi had secured for us. Once finished writing, I read through the report for proof-reading. Roxi was reading from one of her textbooks while sprawled out on my bed. She had stopped paying attention after finishing the holotapes and adding her input on Paladin Brandis. 

“Oh, I forgot to add in this report about you being chased by a Yao guai,” I said, peeking over my shoulder at Roxi. 

Her head shot up, eyebrows knit together, “I did  _ not _ !” 

I turned in my chair, smirking at her, “It happens to the best of us, Knight.” 

She rolled her eyes with a laugh, “If you put that in there, I’d  _ love  _ to see the Elder’s face when he reads it.”

“You can have your chance Wednesday when we meet with him about the Squire issue.” 

“ _ Wait _ !” She jumped up to a sitting position with urgency, “You’re joking.  _ Please  _ tell me you’re joking.” 

“About the Yao guai?” 

“Not the Yao guai,” she huffed, rolling her eyes and waving her hand at me like she wanted to smack me; I laughed at her. “The Squire camp thing.” 

“It’s not a joke. We will be meeting with Maxson this Wednesday at 1900 hours.” 

Her face flushed red, and she collapsed backward onto the bed with a groan. “Oh my  _ God _ .” 

“Roxi, I’m telling you- you’re making this out to be a larger issue than it is. You’re the only one that has suggested something productive with these kids in place of punishments that- obviously- aren’t working.” 

“I was joking when I said it,” She said quietly. 

“Joking or not, it’s a suggestion that the Elder wants to hear about.  _ So _ , instead of complaining about it-” I eyed her with scrutiny, to which she sat up on the bed and dropped her dramatics, “let’s bang out a plan for this. We need a potential location to hold this camp. We need to consider what personnel should be involved. We also need to plan out a rough draft of what the Squires should expect daily.” 

“Alright,” She took a deep breath, “Here’s what I was thinking...” 

-

Wednesday night came quickly for Roxi, whose anxiety only increased with each passing day. She had been practicing her speech for the last few days but gained no confidence in herself. 

We arrived at the Elder’s quarters early, to which he opened the door and allowed us entry. He offered us drinks and we both accepted a glass of whiskey. We discussed the report I had submitted about the mission for the lost patrol for several minutes, going over the basic timeline of events. Roxi presented Maxson the holotapes collected during our trip, which he had a peaked interest in listening to them later. 

“Brandis seems to be adjusting well to Prydwen again,” Arthur said with an approving nod. 

“I was fearful that he would feel trapped after the time he spent isolated,” I admitted. “I hear he’s been assigned to the storage depot for now.” 

“Yes, light-duty per Cade’s suggestion. Something to keep him occupied while getting acquainted with the Brotherhood again. I’m thinking about rotating him from post to post so he doesn’t get too comfortable in one place. He’ll also be joining the rest of the superior officers for debriefings and strategy planning. His vast insight of the Commonwealth will be most welcomed.” 

“Seems reasonable. He has a lot of new names to learn. Rotating him would give him a great deal of exposure to everyone.” 

“And everyone else to him. Once they get to know him, they won’t think he’s some mentally broken Paladin. They’ll regain trust in him as a leader, and then I’m certain he’ll be back commanding the battlefield with the authority he used to hold. I don’t want to demote him without good reason, of course.” 

“Understandable. I think a demotion would only hurt his progress.” 

Arthur nodded in agreement before taking a sip of his whiskey. “Now. Let’s discuss these Squires.” He took a long moment before continuing, and with every passing second his eyebrows knitted closer together. “I have  _ never  _ seen such  _ disregard  _ for one's duties in the Brotherhood.” 

“I haven’t witnessed the trouble myself,” I took a sip of my whiskey. “Cade and Kells had relayed the disruptions to me prior to my last mission.” 

“Consider yourself lucky. Bickering leading to brawls- even on patrols!  _ Patrols  _ that they should be  _ honored  _ to be a part of! It was never like this back in the Capital Wasteland. And now, all of a sudden, when they’re expected to act like true soldiers in the face of the enemy-  _ this  _ is what they do. It’s  _ disgusting _ ,” Arthur drained his whiskey and refilled his glass. “And no punishment seems to be enough for them.” 

I shook my head in disgust. “As Kells had put it- not even their parents can knock sense into them.” 

Arthur sighed, “No. And the ones that no longer have their parental figures are being scolded by their mentors. That used to  _ mean _ something. But these kids…” He shook his head with anger. “What did the two of you come up with for this issue?” 

Roxi straightened in her chair, “Sir, allow me to preface this idea knowing that it will use Brotherhood resources to complete, and if it would cause too much of a strain during wartime, we will figure out another solution. With that being said...my idea is to take the troubled Squires and place them into three or four teams- carefully selected by their mentor’s notes of strengths and weaknesses, with a Paladin, Knight, and Scribe as team leaders. The teams would march to a location that is far enough away from the city to force them to rely on their skills and training, but close enough to base in case of an emergency. Ideally,” Roxi pulled off her Pip-Boy and turned it to the Elder, showing the map location that we considered for this adventure, “It could be held in his rundown neighborhood. It’s secluded enough where no one will bother us, but also far enough away from the border of the glowing sea to be considered safe from extensive radiation levels. Before this camp, a team would need to be dispatched to ensure the area is clear of hostiles. There are several houses on a cul-a-sac that could be used not only as housing for the teams but as a restoration project in case, this is successful and deemed an efficient training strategy in the longevity of the Brotherhood. During the time allotted for the camp, the Squires would participate in workshops and scouting trips, sponsored by the team leaders. They would also be required to rotate through the night shift watch, along with the team leaders. This camp experience would grant these Squires a true-to-life experience besides patrols. They will have to solve their differences and work as a team, much like what their superiors have to face while in the field.” 

Maxson sat back in his chair, swishing around his whiskey, thinking about Roxi’s proposal. “I’ll have to think about this, Knight. I do like this idea; it gets them out of my hair. But I will have to inquire with Captain Kells in regards to the personnel issue and see if he feels comfortable allowing nine to twelve higher-ranked soldiers off base and off of the line of duty for an extended period.” 

“Of course, sir,” she nodded. 

Maxson dismissed Roxi shortly after, leaving the two of us to finish our drinks. I could see the relief in Roxi’s eyes as she stood to leave, almost running out of the room. I wondered why she was so anxious around the Elder; there was more to it than intimidation from his rank. Arthur’s eyes watched her every step until she was on the other side of the closed door. 

Arthur’s eyes slowly returned to me, a smirk on his lips. “Not a bad addiction to the Brotherhood, Danse. She... _ brightens _ up the Prydwen, wouldn’t you say?” 

“Sir?” I raised an eyebrow at him, afraid he was going to scold me for stopping her singing and laughing outbursts that she was known to do. 

He laughed, “Come on, Danse. You can’t tell me you haven’t watched her walk away, hm?” 

I felt my face flush, “I don’t make a habit of it- being her sponsor.” 

“ _ Hm _ . I don’t believe you,” He smirked, draining his glass.

I then had an inkling of Roxi’s eagerness to leave the Elder’s sight, and I felt an anger building inside of me. “She’s an outstanding soldier, Arthur. I have  _ nothing  _ but the utmost respect for her.” 

The entertainment in the Elder’s eyes diminished into seriousness, “I’m not doubting her skills, or discrediting her, Paladin. She’s a rookie who can keep up with one of the best field officers in our ranks.” His smirk slowly returned, “But that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy watching her walk away.” 

There was a burning desire inside my chest that wanted to knock Arthur sideways for his comments. I had to take a steadying breath before I acted too rash- he was still the Elder. I watched as he poured yet another glass of whiskey for himself. In regards to all of the alcohol he had consumed tonight, I dropped the argument, though it did not calm down my anger. 

I stood up, “You’re drunk, Arthur. Goodnight.” 

-

Two weeks later, Arthur called for a meeting with superior officers regarding Roxi’s request. We all met in the Command Room, awaiting the Elder and Lancer-Captain Kells. Roxi was the lowest rank in the room, but she stood proud and confident next to me as if she had been doing this for years. 

Proctor Ingram came to stand next to Roxi, “Knight Andrews, I gotta say, those Tesla Bracers you drew up are working out great. The Knight’s who added it to their suits are raving about it.” 

“Oh? That’s fantastic! I’m glad they’re of use,” Roxi said, rising onto her toes with excitement. “Thank you for letting me know, Proctor.” 

“Of course,” Ingram smirked and gave an approving nod. “If you have any more ideas, send them my way.” 

“I will,” Roxi smiled. 

“Knight Andrews,” Proctor Tegan called from the other side of the room, pointing to both Proctor Ingram and myself, “You’re lookin’ a little short there.” 

Roxi gave him an amused look, “Who let you out of your cage, Proctor?” 

“What’s the square root of four-thousand-seven-hundred-sixty-one?” Tegan returned.

Roxi blinked twice, solving the math in her head, “Sixty-nine.  _ Oh _ , ha-ha, very funny,” She rolled her eyes with a laugh.

Everyone chuckled, except for Proctor Quinlin, who glared at her with distaste. Just then, Maxson and Kells walked into the Command Room; everyone quickly swallowed their smiles and straightened themselves. I couldn’t help but notice how quickly Roxi’s confident demeanor disappeared. 

Maxson looked around at the individuals before him as he started the meeting, remarking on what brought us here and Roxi’s proposal to deal with the troublemakers. He called her up to stand next to him; she didn’t hesitate to move, but I noticed that she kept a comfortable distance from him. 

Maxson opened the meeting up for questions that Roxi had to answer. They came like rapid fire. How many soldiers expected to watch the Squires? What skills could be worked on while at this camp? Why do you think this will help solve the problems the Squires are causing? But Roxi held strong, that confidence of hers coming out with each question she answered to satisfaction. The officers looked at one another in common agreeance. 

I couldn’t keep my eyes from Roxi standing before all of her superior officers with a great amount of conviction in her eyes. A sense of fulfillment washed over me as I knew I was no longer training her to be a great Knight, but now I would be giving her the tools to be a Paladin one day. Her eyes fell to mine, face softening into a small smile as I beamed with pride.

Elder Maxson stepped beside her, placing a hand softly on her back. She stiffened, the smile she wore vanished, panic settling in her eyes at his touch. It pained me to see such a reaction, but she played it off well by slightly stepping to the side with a smile so Arthur could take his place front and center. 

“Congratulations, Knight Andrews,” Maxson said with a smirk as he turned to her. “Your proposal has impressed us, and we will go ahead with this campaign.” He saluted her, and she saluted back with a polite note of thanks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DAY EARLY POST ALERT. HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND EVERYONE! 
> 
> This chapter was written and edited to the following:   
> Suspicious Minds- Elvis Presley  
> Rumors- NEFFEX  
> Thot- Tokyo's Revenge  
> Till I Collapse- Eminem


	20. Chapter 20

#  **Roxi**

_November 25th, 2288_

I had been up since 0400 hours with Paladin Danse and Scribe Haylen preparing for the Squire camp. I was dying for a double shot espresso but had to settle for the overheated black bean water that passed as coffee on this ship. The other team leaders were up as well, checking their supplies and going over their game plan for their team. We had five days to prepare our ideas for our team after the scouting team gave the okay for the chosen destination of the camp. We had prepared as much as possible, but now it was last-minute reassurance that we had everything we needed.

The three of us had dedicated time every day to plan out our two weeks with the Squires. We hung out on the Forward Deck of the Prydwen, finding the spot to yield the most privacy. Our meetings would start rather effective, but then slowly would turn into a bullshitting session. I also taught Haylen how to boogie-woogie dance. Danse would watch us goof off with a disapproving gaze, but would laugh at us despite himself.

Danse was in full no-nonsense Paladin mode today, and most likely wouldn’t relax until the camp was well underway- especially with the Squires being around. Haylen and I followed the Paladin's lead and tucked away our foolishness- at least for now.

At 0600 hours, we met the Squires outside of the airport. They were all sitting on the ground in orderly lines with their fully packed backpacks, sharing the same awestruck expression as Paladin Danse led the four teams to the meeting. The teams stood before the Squires, cold and serious, observing them for the first time as a group.

Paladin Brandis was among one of the team leaders- Elder Maxson accepted my request that he be considered for this camp to help build up the Paladin’s leadership confidence. Brandis’ team consisted of Knight Rhys- who looked longingly towards Danse and Haylen- and Scribe Hudson. The third team had Paladin Flores, Knight Lucia, and Scribe Naceri. The fourth team consisted of Paladin Beckett, Knight Petris, and Scribe Monroe.

Danse called the Squires to order, reviewing the purpose of this camp and what was expected of them during the duration of the next two weeks. He then read off his list of six Squires to be on his team, four boys- Carter, Lewis, Easton, and Reed; two girls- Griffin and Kenndey. The six came up one by one as they were called, standing behind me and Haylen. Once Danse called the last name, Paladin Brandis called out for his six, and the process repeated for Paladin Flores and Paladin Beckett. Once the last Squire was called, we headed out to the camp location.

The march took a few hours with very little chatter in between. Haylen and I spoke quietly to one another, but anytime we got a case of the giggles from something humorous we said, Danse would give us a look over his shoulder that told us to behave. Some of the Squires whispered to each other, excited and nervous that they were on our team. 

“See, I told you she wore a Pip-Boy,” whispered Squire Griffin. 

“So she really _was_ a vault dweller,” returned Squire Kennedy. “Who would’ve guessed.” 

The comment made me smile, and I looked at Haylen to see if she had overheard. Haylen smirked at me knowingly, giving a shrug and returning her forward gaze. 

Upon reaching the camp, we immediately began setting up our bivouac shelters before resting. Day one of this camping adventure included the travel, set up of tents, and picking out a house for each team to restore. The first week of camp was dedicated to restoration- this rough environment and hard labor were intended to bring out the stress and frustration between the Squires so it could quickly be resolved. In the second week, the teams would move into the houses with (hopefully) fresh attitudes after a week of forced bonding. The Squires would then have new activities to look forward too instead of hard labor. 

The Paladins left to check out the houses that encircled the tents and claim one for their team. Haylen and I were left with the six Squires, who watched our every move. We got to work building a fire and setting up our cookware, just as the other teams were doing. 

Danse returned shortly afterward, pointing out the house he had claimed for the team. It was a two-story home with a large front porch and two bedrooms on the upper floor. Of course, it required a decent amount of repair before it could be deemed safe to inhabit. 

As night fell, we ate dinner and either readied for bed or the night watch. Danse pulled Squire Easton and Squire Carter- the two known troublemakers on our team- for the first shift of the night watch. I claimed the second shift and picked the two girls for my watch, leaving Haylen with Squire Lewis and Squire Reed for her third shift. 

Danse and his Squires left for watch. The rest of us were supposed to be sleeping, but instead, Haylen and I laid in our sleeping bags and chatted. Our conversation turned from catching up to delirious laughter because of the way I pronounced the word “stupid” as “stoopit” in a ridiculous accent. The Squires started to giggle at us, which made us laugh harder. 

“If we don’t get to sleep, Danse is going to be pissed,” I said, still half-laughing wiping tears from my eyes. For some reason, it sent us into another laughing fit. 

“Oh my God,” Haylen breathed, “he’s going to be _so_ mad.”

“Fuck,” I tried to take a few deep breaths to calm myself, “I gotta sleep or I’m fucked for my shift. Okay-okay-okay, I’m going to bed.” I laid down and closed my eyes for about ten minutes before whispering, “Son of a bitch, I have _Civilization_ stuck in my head.” 

Haylen started teetering with laughter again, “ _Why_?”

“I have no idea,” I said, trying to bite my laughter back. “ _Eeeeep! Ah-loh-kee-tah-he-sah-hah-nah_ ,” I sang the bit of the song, immediately bursting into uncontrollable laughter with Haylen and the Squires. 

-

The first week passed with relative ease. There was only one small scrap between Squire Easton and Squire Carter that Danse immediately diffused. The house came together quite well, with most of the repairs being the holes in the floor of the upper level. We built bunk beds for the Squires in the largest bedroom and restored a queen-sized bed for the three of us as only two would be sleeping at a time. 

Sunday night, a harsh line of thunderstorms forced us to halt activities for the night. By this time, all of the teams had completed their house repairs and had moved from their tents. Danse sat out on the porch for his first watch, while the rest of us were piled into the family room swapping stories.

“Knight Andrews, do you miss the past?” Asked Squire Reed.

I smiled and shrugged, “Some things I miss. Other things not so much.” 

“What do you _not_ miss about the past?” Asked Squire Kennedy with eagerness. She and Griffin were always so awestruck around me. 

“Well, for one thing, I don’t miss the snow.” 

“What’s snow?” Asked Squire Carter, eyebrows knit together. 

Squire Lewis jabbed Carter in the ribs with his elbow, “You dummy, it’s white rain.” 

I snickered, “I mean...you’re not _wrong_. Snowflakes are made up of ice crystals when it’s cold enough. We used to get slammed with snow around here in the winter.” 

Squire Griffin jumped in, “What else don’t you miss?” 

“I mean...I don’t have to pay back my school loans, so that’s great.” 

“ _School loans_?” Asked the Squires in unison. 

I laughed, “I had to take out federal loans to attend college.” 

“So you really _did_ go to CIT, didn’t you?!” Bursted Kennedy, cheeks immediately flushing red at her outburst. 

“I did,” I smirked. 

“ _Wow_ ,” The Squires said, staring at me with wide eyes. 

“So, when you were our age, you went to high school, right?” Asked Squire Easton. 

“Yep! I went to a high school in Pennsylvania and came up here for college.” 

The questions went on for several more minutes until Paladin Danse walked in, sending his scrutinizing eyes over us. I looked up to him, worried that we would be getting in trouble for staying up so late. As soon as our eyes met, Danse’s entire expression softened, but it only lasted for a brief moment. The Squires jumped to their feet, awaiting a lecture, but Danse merely looked them over with a raised eyebrow. 

“Second watch, it’s your turn,” Danse smirked at me. “I’m going to bed.” 

“Goodnight, Paladin,” I said, “You guys better follow his example.” 

The Squires all followed the Paladin upstairs for bed. I grabbed my sniper rifle and took a seat out on the porch. The rain was still falling, tapping rhythmically against the roof. I’m pretty sure I dozed off after the first hour of my shift while listening to the rain. A clap of thunder startled me out of my sleep. I checked the time on my Pip-Boy, finding that there were another forty-five minutes until shift change. 

At the end of my shift, I stood from my chair and stretched the stiffness out. I headed inside, quietly climbing the stairs and into the master bedroom. I roused Haylen from her sleep for her third watch; she slowly sat herself up and sulked off. I slipped off my pants, pulled off my t-shirt, and removed my bra from underneath my tank top before taking Haylen’s spot in the bed.

Danse stirred on the other side of the bed, rolling onto his side to face me, “Haylen or Roxi?”

“Take a guess, you have a fifty percent chance of getting it right,” I smirked into the darkness. 

“Mhm. Roxi.” 

I laughed, “Go back to sleep, Danse.” 

“I don’t take orders from you,” he returned, hiding a laugh. 

“ _Fine_ , be tired then,” I smirked. 

He let out a sleepy chuckle, “Affirmative.” He barely finished the word before falling asleep, letting out a light snore. 

The week passed without incident. We all participated in the workshops for the Squires; I held cooking seminars and was the only Knight who didn’t take the Squires out from the camp for scouting trips. The other Knights were in charge of hunting and survival training, taking groups of Squires out into the surrounding woods to bring back means for food. Haylen and the other Scribes held first aid classes, teaching different skills every day. The Paladin’s liked to run the Squires through training exercises and shooting range courses. 

The Squires seemed to be getting along, and their eagerness to learn hands-on was exactly what I had hoped to achieve. Paladin Brandis was thriving in his leadership role, despite having the most Squire scraps to handle during the first week. Paladin Danse seemed rather pleased with his team, watching us all with his scrutinizing gaze, but at the same time, he wore a soft smile that pulled at the corner of his lips. 

On Thursday, Elder Maxson visited the camp to see what progress had been made. The Paladins met the Elder’s entourage of vertibirds and gave the grand tour. Maxson inspected each house, his hands folded behind his back as he strolled through the camp. The Squires stood at attention in the center of the cul-de-sac, awaiting for Elder Maxson’s watchful gaze to land upon them. The Elder walked slowly past the Squires with an expression that was cold and stonelike. His eyes finally landed on me, standing on the outside of the Squire line up with the other Knights. I felt my heart drop as he approached. 

“Knight Andrews,” he drew out my name, a smirk pulling at the corner of his lips, eyes full of...mischievous intent. 

“Elder,” I said softly, trying to keep myself steady under his stare. 

“This seems to have been a successful endeavor. I haven’t seen these Squires so orderly since we left the Capital Wasteland.” 

“Yes, sir. They’ve done quite well, sir.” 

Maxson’s smirk spread, and so did the unease inside of me. “I will be considering this outreach for future training. I will see you all back at base.” 

We saluted Maxson as he returned to his vertibird. Relief washed over me as the aircraft took off, leaving us to the final days of camp uninterrupted. Tomorrow would be the “clean up” day, and Saturday, we would return to the Prydwen. 

Each team retreated to their homes for the evening before the night watch shifts began. We ate our dinner in the family room, swapping stories. This time, Danse was present to tell his own wartime stories filled with his and other brave soldiers' heroics. Haylen shared some humorous misadventure stories from the better days of the Gladius recon team. I shared stories of shenanigans I had gotten myself into with my old roommate, Brandy. I told them about the countless baseball games in Boston and the football games at University Point. Danse retold the story of how I helped his team at the police station against the feral ghouls. He also told the story of the synth attack at ArcJet. The Squires loved our stories, laughing and asking questions. 

Friday morning, we began tearing down the unnecessary parts of the camp. I felt melancholy as we started to pack away our belongings. I think the Squires felt it, too. They would be moving on now, the days of fun and little responsibilities behind them. They would be promoted to Initiates, striving to become either Knights or Scribes. 

Danse brought me out of my thoughts, coming to stand next to me as I looked up to our team’s house, “They did well.” 

“Yeah, they did,” I smiled. “Griffin seems to be a very promising Scribe.” 

“Haylen said the same,” He nodded, “She’s very impressed.” 

“Lewis and Carter are going to be some powerful Knights,” I smirked. 

“If they can stop competing against each other,” Danse snorted. “Then I would be obliged to agree.” 

“At least it’s a friendly competition and not fighting anymore.” 

Danse huffed an airy laugh in agreeance. He waited a few moments before adding, “I think you’re going to miss this camp.” 

I smiled, “Yeah. I think I will. Who knows, maybe we’ll be back here next year with another unruly group of Squires.” 

We parted ways to get back to work. If I wasn’t mistaken, I believed Danse might have some fondness for this camp just as I. I saw it in his eyes during dinner- the look of belonging, the look of being part of a family. I smiled at the thought, and continued my work, truly hoping we would have another camp in the future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was written and edited to the following: 
> 
> Go Hard (La.La.La)- Kreayshawn (okay, listen, I've been on TikTok way too much and have this song is stuck in my head...)  
> Bright Lights Bigger City- Cee Lo Green  
> Piece of Your Heart- Meduza feat. Goodboys  
> Moonlight- Gaullin


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "I'm on the frontline, don't worry I'll be fine, the story is just beginning. I say goodbye to my weakness, so long to regret, and now I know that I'm alive..." 
> 
> Shinedown, "Diamond Eyes"

#  **Danse**

“-you know what I mean,” said a voice from the Squire bedroom. 

As I dressed for bed, I could not help but overhear the conversation through the thin walls. The boys were discussing something in hushed tones, only piquing my interest further. 

“Not really,” returned another. 

“Oh, come  _ on _ ,” the first voice groaned. “You haven’t noticed how they are around each other? There’s definitely something going on. He definitely took her to bed.” 

“I think you’re full of shit. He wouldn’t do something like that.” 

A third voice entered the conversation, “I mean, I’ve seen it too.  _ But  _ I don’t think he would’ve done it during wartime- he’s too serious.” 

There was a heavy sigh from the first voice, “ _ Seriously _ you two? What about you, Reed? What do you think?” There was a slight pause with no audible reply, “ _ Good _ ! At least you’re with me on this.” 

“I just don’t think they would  _ do  _ that,” The second voice said, sounding disgusted. “I mean, yeah, she’s hot, but... _ what _ ? She is! Haven’t you looked at her? Best ass on the Prydwen, hands down.” 

The three boys recalled what they liked physically the most about the woman in question. I rolled my eyes listening to such disrespectful talk. I had half a notion to interrupt this conversation and put an end to it for good. I pulled on my shirt, ready to crawl into bed, but then the last bit of the conversation that angered me. 

“Have you ever watched her with Paladin Danse? Knight Andrews looks at him like she’s ready to spread her legs wide open for him at any given second. He’d just say the word and she’d do it. Awe, come on, you know it’s true.” 

I felt heat rush to my face. I stormed out of the room, downstairs, and outside. These rumors were going to be stopped immediately. I found Roxi just as she was heading to her watch station for the night, Griffin and Kennedy walking in front of her. 

“ _ Knight Andrews _ ,” I spat. She turned immediately, bolt straight, facing me with wide and frightened eyes. I approached her, my anger boiling over. “Knight are you  _ aware _ of the rumors these Squires are spreading about us?” 

“No, sir,” She quickly returned. 

“They’re disgusting and untrue! They’re enough to ruin both of our careers! It ends  _ now _ .” 

“Danse, I-” 

“ _ No _ ,” I slashed my hand through the air as if striking away her words and pointed a finger at her. “We start respecting each other’s ranks,  _ now _ , as we should have been all along. I’ve been too soft on you and for that, we’re going to have our reputations tarnished because of  _ rumors  _ spread by Squires.” 

“Okay,” her voice shook, “Yes, sir.” 

“Dismissed, Knight.” 

She turned without a word, the moonlight catching the glistening of tears that brimmed her eyes. I watched as she walked away, head hung low and an arm coming across her face to wipe away tears. Griffin and Kennedy had stopped walking, turning to find Roxi in tears with concerned looks. Roxi ushered them both forward, shaking her head to dismiss one of the girls' questions. There was a terrible twist in my chest- I had made a mistake. I shouldn’t have taken this out on her. I didn’t know what came over me; I should have gone after the Squires, not her. But it was too late. 

I walked back into the house, immediately going upstairs and to bed. Haylen was already asleep on the opposite side. I sat on the edge of the bed, head in my hand, regretting everything I had just unloaded on Roxi. The image of her teary eyes sent a stabbing pain through my chest. I made her cry…

That night, I either tossed and turned or stared up at the ceiling, unable to stop thinking about what else I could have done. I could not immediately reverse what I had just ordered- she would never take me seriously as a Paladin if I went back on my harsh words posthaste. This trip was nearing its end, and after a few days, I could always pull her aside and apologize. But...what if she reported to Elder Maxson after this unjustified explosion and requested a transfer? She had every right to do so. But, if Elder Maxson caught wind of these rumors he would have her transferred regardless- or we would both be brought up on charges. 

A sudden choir of screams broke through the night. Haylen and I jumped from the bed- I pushed my feet into my boots and ran downstairs, yelling for the Squires to stay inside. I crossed the threshold of the front door, witnessing Squires running from their watch stations to the houses their team was located, trying to warn the officers of danger. A monstrous roar ripped through the night just as the two Squires from my team approached the house, fear in their eyes. 

“What happened-” I started.

“-Paladin! Deathclaw!” Griffin cried out, voice trembling.

Just then, the Deathclaw- a humongous glowing abomination, came into view. It snatched someone within its claws- bringing them up to its eye level. In the moonlight, I could see the silhouette of the victim in its grasp- a gun raised. The Deathclaw pulled back it’s free arm, ready to rip it’s victim to shreds. 

_ Bang! _

I knew the sound of the gunshot. 

It was Roxi’s sniper rifle.

The Deathclaw had Roxi. 

The Deathclaw roared out in pain, falling backward and releasing Roxi from its grasp. She fell through the air. I rushed forward, running as fast as my body would allow, watching as she hit the ground like a ragdoll. I dropped to my knees beside her limp body. Haylen and a few others were seconds behind me coming to her aid. Others rushed off to ensure the Deathclaw was dead. 

“Weak pulse, shallow breathing,” Haylen said as she put her medical training to use and examined Roxi. “Get a Stimpak and RadAway IV started, STAT.  _ Careful-  _ she might have broken her neck in the fall.” She got on the radio that one of the other Scribes had on their person, “Scribe Haylen to Prydwen Command, we need medevac immediately. Over.” 

One of the Scribes handed me the IV bag of RadAway to keep elevated. Everything was a blur- I watched the Scribes tend to her, trying to determine her injuries. One was trying to get her to wake up, but it wasn’t working. After several minutes, a Vertibird circled above, finding a place to land. Two soldiers from Knight-Captain Cade’s medical team jumped from the Vertibird and rushed over with their equipment. 

Another Scribe took the IV bag away from me, forcing me out of the way so the team could work. Through the cluster of people, I watched as they strapped a neck brace on and moved simultaneously to place her carefully on a stretcher board. They hoisted her into the air and carefully loaded the stretcher onto the Vertibird. The medical team slid the door shut as the engines whined to life. The Scribes that were stationed here stepped to a safe distance away and dispersed to their assigned homes. Scribe Haylen held back, coming to stand next to me, arms crossed. The Vertibird lifted into the air and turned for the Prydwen. 

“How well do you think she’ll fair, Haylen?” 

She shifted from foot to foot, “Not well, Paladin. Not only did she take a nasty fall, but she took in an alarming amount of radiation from that Glowing Deathclaw.”

I kept my eyes on the sky, watching until the lights of the Vertibird disappeared. I felt...emptiness. Shock. Guilt. Pain. Anger towards myself. If Roxi died...the last conversation she would have known between us was an outburst of anger that was both uncalled for and misdirected. I would never have a chance to apologize...to make things right.

Haylen placed her hand gently on my back, “I’m sorry, Danse. I hope she pulls through. I know you care about her a lot.” 

I dropped my eyes to the ground, feeling a horrible ache in my chest. “Come on, let’s get back to the house and check on the Squires.” 

All of the Squires were waiting for us at the top of the stairs with wide eyes. Squire Griffin and Squire Kennedy were scared to death. Haylen lit two oil lamps and placed them on the kitchen table. I called the Squires down to have a group discussion about the night’s events. 

“I’m sure all of you witnessed the Vertibird taking off,” I took a deep breath. “Knight Andrews has been transported back to the Prydwen due to her injuries. Now, who would like to tell me what the hell happened?” 

Squire Kennedy stepped forward, her eyes still wet from crying, “Sir. On our patrol, the Glowing Deathclaw...it came out of nowhere...like it had been stalking us. Roxi was the first one to jump into action- she ordered all of us Squires to run back to our teams and wake everyone.” 

“Sir, is she going to be okay?” Asked Squire Griffin.

I looked at all of the Squires, meeting every set of eyes before proceeding, “We’re not sure what the outcome will be. The Deathclaw had grabbed hold of Knight Andrews- who shot the Deathclaw, and it dropped her. Not only that, but she sustained heavy radiation exposure. She was unconscious when we reached her and did not regain consciousness when the Vertibird arrived.” 

The Squires looked to one another; the boys had a particular guilty look on their faces.

“And while I have you all here,” I said through gritted teeth, “there’s a matter I would like to address. I overheard a private conversation today that held ill intent to not only Knight Andrews but myself as well. It ends-  _ now _ . The fact that you boys had the  _ audacity _ to speak such disgusting and disturbing lies about your superior officers is  _ disgraceful _ !  _ I have half a notion to bring you up on charges! _ ” 

The lecture lasted several minutes until the color drained from the Squires and were backed up against the wall. The two girls had removed themselves to stand behind Scribe Haylen. I ended my statement by telling them that I would be presenting this issue in my report to Elder Maxson, and sending them back to bed. 

Early the next morning, the teams all vacated the houses and started the march back to the Prydwen. I barely said a word to the team out of anger, disappointment, and my own anxiety. I only barked out the necessary orders and moved along. On my last lap of camp inspection, I made sure to find Roxi’s disregarded sniper rifle; it had taken a good bit of damage from the fall, but I wanted to attempt repairing it.

There was no word on Roxi’s condition. I feared what I would find aboard the Prydwen. I was sure Roxi’s condition was not good, but it was the anticipation of how  _ bad _ . Would she be on her deathbed? Or did she have a fighting chance? Would she be paralyzed if she made it through? What damage did she truly sustain? Would she even wake up again, trapped in a coma for the rest of her days? 

Would the amount of radiation she obtained... _ turn _ her? I couldn’t imagine her, a bright-eyed beautiful young woman, strong and capable, turning into a ghoul- feral or not. What if she had already turned and they euthanized her? What if she turned after the teams reported back, and they asked me to put her down myself? Like Culter. It would be like Cutler all over again. But worse. I cared for her deeply...deeper than the strong friendship I had with Cutler. 

I...loved her. 

And I  _ failed  _ her. 

I failed to protect her and deliver her to her nephew. 

As the Prydwen came into sight, I felt my anxiety increase. Once we entered the base, Paladin Brandis offered to take over watching the Squires on my team so Haylen and I could see Roxi immediately. We thanked him and relinquished the Squires, quickly heading deeper into the airport. 

Aboard the Prydwen, I couldn’t help but rush to the medical ward. My heart sank upon seeing her- comatose, hooked up to RadAway, saline, and a blood transfusion through IV tubing, with patches on her chest that were hooked to the EKG machine to constantly monitor her heart rhythm. 

Knight-Captain Cade noticed us standing in the doorway. He gave us a disheartening grimace, grabbing a chart and ushered us inside. I stood next to Roxi, looking down at her as I tried to hold back my emotions. 

“She’s lucky to be alive, Paladin. The fall she took has caused a fractured pelvis, four fractured ribs- three on the left, one on the right; left wrist fracture and dislocated right shoulder. Her back has several deep lacerations. She woke up shortly after arriving- in a great amount of pain, mind you- and tested positive for a concussion. We had to sedate her with pain medication due to her injuries. However...her Lymphocyte count has not yet shown improvement with the aid of RadAway. We’re running her blood work several times a day to monitor her progress.”

I pressed my lips into a hard line, trying to form words while keeping my emotions at bay. Thankfully, Haylen brought up the question I wanted an answer to most, “Is she under watch for turning?” 

“Yes, I’m afraid so. Her body isn’t taking the RadAway treatments as we had hoped. We’re doing our best, and will continue to monitor.”

Haylen and I left the infirmary soon after. I sulked to my quarters and sat on my bed in the dark, head in my hands, regretting my actions. I hated this. I hated the unknown. Roxi had been brave to take on the Deathclaw, sending away the Squires to get help. She knew the risks. She put her life on the line to save everyone in the camp. She had done what I would have- and I felt a swell of pride for her. If she survived, her time as a Knight would be swift. She would be on to better things soon- I could feel it. I've felt it since her training. I was never training a Knight, I was training a future Paladin. 

It would be a damn shame if this was where her story ended. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was written and edited to the following: 
> 
> Adventure- Izzamuzzic   
> Diamond Eyes- Shinedown  
> Wicked Game- Theory of a Deadman


	22. Chapter 22

#  **Danse**

  
  


The following days were torture. I had to keep my visits to the infirmary to a minimum, per Knight-Captain Cade’s orders. He was afraid that Roxi would code at any moment. He was also afraid that she was on the path to becoming a ghoul. They doubled her RadAway with barely any improvement to her blood work results. Every six hours she received a Stimpak injection. They kept her under heavy sedation so her fractures and concussion could have a chance to heal.

On the third day, I visited her bedside in the morning. I sat next to her, just staring. I listened to her breathing and the beeping of the machines around her. I watched the liquids from the IV bags drip in calculated rhythms into the drip chamber. The two hours I was allowed to visit her were coming to a close, and Cade’s medical team was giving passing looks that told me I needed to leave. 

“Roxi...I’m so sorry,” I whispered. “I don’t even know if you can hear me. But, I’m sorry for what I said. It wasn’t right. And now...I might not have a chance to properly apologize to you. It will forever haunt me, Roxi. Please...fight. You’re stronger than this, Roxi. Please... _ fight _ .” 

I kept myself isolated from the rest of the Prydwen. Anytime I left my quarters, I felt eyes upon me. I overheard whispers of passing soldiers talking about what happened to Roxi and how hard I was taking it. Proctor Ingram, Proctor Teagan, and Paladin Brandis all stopped me to discuss the matter. I had no answers for them and it was becoming overwhelming to even talk about her. Every day that passed, every question turned my way, only frustrated me further. 

I kept myself preoccupied with trying to fix Roxi’s sniper rifle. The scope was damaged beyond repair, but the rest of the gun could be salvaged. I started to think up new and improved scope for the rifle, wondering if she would prefer a high-tech upgrade, or keep it more classic...

My thoughts shifted to the sight of Roxi’s lifeless body on the ground. It brought back the memory of looking at Cutler’s body after I...put him down. The same shock-ridden numbness had coursed through my body that night. It was a mix of pain, disbelief, and grief…

The Capital Wasteland was nothing short of a desolate insult to a once-thriving political city. It was a fitting fate from the opacity of corruption and greed that pulsed within the bricks that now laid in ruins. It had its dangers with the salvers and raiders, along with the abominations that walked the Earth such as Centaurs, Deathclaws, and Super Mutants. 

Being with the Brotherhood was the first time I felt as if I had any control in a world that teamed with danger for as long as I could remember. The Brotherhood not only gave me a chance to rid this world of its evils, but it also offered a level of protection that Rivet City could never achieve. 

I had moved to Rivet City with a single bag of my positions after yet another orphanage community fell to pieces. __ These communities weren’t anything tangible- just a bunch of unwanted or left behind souls that banded together for protection against the Wasteland. There was very little trust between each other, and most nights we slept with one eye open, especially if someone discovered that you had Caps to your name. The only thing we had in common was the fact that we were alone, and that we didn’t want a Deathclaw to rip us to pieces in the dead of night.

Cutler was the first person in my life that I could call a friend. We opened a junk stand together and produced enough profits to live comfortably. I established a hobby for upgrading guns, while Cutler liked to spend his money on booze and women. But a comfortable life became a redundant life, and we both found ourselves bored with the dullness of Rivet City. That’s when the Brotherhood came around on a recruiting run. Cutler was the most eager to join, as I had found a sense of safety in Rivet City that I never had the luxury of before.  __

_ “We’re going nowhere, Danse. Sure, the junk stand brings in the Caps, but we could be doing so much more with our lives.”  _

_ “You’re right. But, we’d risk our lives in the Wasteland.”  _

_ “What? Don’t tell me you’re scared. You lived your entire life out there! You know it better than anyone.”  _

_ “That’s just it- maybe I don’t want to leave. I found a place that I can sleep at night without worrying about if someone or some _ thing _ is going to kill me.”  _

_ “Danse, this place isn’t safe. Sure, it’s better than being alone out  _ there _. But we’re one bad deal away from getting our throat slit every day by some pissed off customer! How many times have we had to diffuse a situation? How many times have we had to watch each other's backs here? Besides, being a part of the Brotherhood, we wouldn’t be alone out there. We’d be on teams that are trained to handle dangerous situations.” _

_ “Alright. Let’s do it then. Let’s join the Brotherhood.”  _

We signed up the next day. We sold off the junk stand for cheap and moved out of Rivet City. We were put into training under Paladin Kreig and pushed to our limits. We survived our earlier missions by, what Cutler would say, the skin of our teeth, and pure stubbornness. As the months passed, we watched recruits come in, wondering if we were ever that naive and weak. At the same time, we had watched some of our fellow soldiers die on the battlefield, hardening us into the soldiers that we were. But through it all, I found that sense of belonging and safety. I would find myself looking back on my days at Rivet City and realize that Cutler was right about joining. 

Cutler and I were promoted to Knights and posted to the Prydwen. These were the days that I truly began to hit my stride as a soldier. A year passed, and I never once regretted my decision of joining. I knew that I had been ignoring my calling. 

Then, one day, I received word that Cutler went missing on a scouting opt. I begged my C.O. to put together a scouting team for him; he agreed, putting me in charge of the operation. I threw together a rescue squad made up of volunteers; most of them were friends from my company that knew Cutler well. 

Three weeks later, we tracked Cutler down to that goddamn Super Mutant hive. Cutler had fully evolved from the FEV- his skin was dark green, eyes yellowed, his mental capacity slowed, and any true part of him left was gone. He still had his holotags around his neck, the majority of his uniform was ripped around his mutated body. 

I have tried to repress the image. I refused to use the gun that I killed him with after we returned back to base. I had completed the mission. I did what I was taught to do by the Brotherhood, but deep down, I questioned if it was the  _ right _ thing to do. If it were any other Super Mutant, I would have slain it without hesitation. But...it was Cutler- a brother in arms...my friend. Dwelling on the matter only refreshed the horrible sense of loss and pain. 

A soft knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts. I called for them to enter, and turned to find Scribe Haylen with a smile. 

“She’s awake,” Haylen said. 

I barely let her finish the word ‘awake’ before rushing out of the room and to the infirmary. Standing at the threshold of the door, I stared at her as relief washed over me in a dizzying flood. Roxi was sitting almost upright, slowly eating a piece of razorgrain toast. Her RadAway and Blood Transfusion IV’s had been removed, but she was still receiving normal saline. She looked up to me, her eyes lighting up, almost choking on her mouthful of food.

“Danse!” She smiled. 

I quickly moved to her bedside, unsure if I wanted to throw my arms around her or to keep them to myself. “ _ Roxi _ , thank God. How are you feeling?” 

“Sore, but okay. I got myself pretty banged up, huh?” She smirked.

I sat down, feeling rather perplexed. The last time we had spoken, I had unceremoniously scolded her to the point that she was in tears. But here she was smiling and joking, excited to see me.

“Roxi...what do you remember from that night?” 

She squinted her eyes, “ _ Mhmm _ . Not that much, actually. I remember talking to Paladin Brandis in passing on my way up for watch that night. I don’t remember anything until waking up on the Prydwen, strapped down to the gurney.” 

I sat back in my chair, feeling a mix of embarrassment and guilt. “You don’t even remember the Deathclaw?” 

“Nah-uh,” She said as she took another bite of her toast. She chewed and swallowed. “Cade told me what happened. I don’t remember it. It might be for the best.” 

“Roxi...I…spoke to you. I...had lectured you about something that was completely out of your control, and I was wrong to do so. Even if you don’t remember it, I wanted to apologize. It was wrong of me.” 

“Lecture about what?” 

“The boys on our team were saying some  _ distasteful _ things about us. I should have directly gone after them, but I don’t know. I thought- in my anger- that by having us stop being the way we are to one another...it would settle the rumors they were trying to spread.”

“‘The way we are to one another?’ What do you mean?” I could see the confusion in her eyes. 

“I meant our informalities towards each other. My...softness towards you. But, I don’t want that.” Her eyes searched my face for a few moments, but she didn’t reply. I lowered my voice so only she could hear, “I can’t bear the thought of losing you. And it’s a damn shame that it took something to this extent to make me realize it. I know I’m overstepping my bounds. I know that it’s against decorum. And I understand if you no longer want me as your Commanding Officer. But, _goddamn it_ , _Roxi_ , I’m in love with you.” 

Her fingertips softly touched my cheek, eyes unwavering but with tears welling. She quickly looked over her shoulder before turning back to me. Her lips met mine for only a few seconds, but it felt like a lifetime. It felt like electricity ran through my mind and body. 

“I’ve loved you since ArcJet," She whispered with tears in her eyes.

The sound of approaching footsteps forced her to pull away. But we stared at each other with an overwhelming sense of...bliss. I never felt anything like it. And I never wanted it to stop. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was written and edited to the following: 
> 
> What I've Done- Linkin Park  
> Tuesday- Burak Yeter (feat. Danelle Sandoval) (Harmo & Vibes Remix)  
> I Got Love- Miyagi   
> Lola Montez- Volbeat


	23. Chapter 23 (NSFW)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is such a long chapter. I'm sorry in advance, but I couldn't find a good spot to split this. Also, it's NSFW at the end so...have fun!

#  **Roxi**

_January 4th, 2289_

After eighteen days in the infirmary, I was discharged with activity restrictions. Danse and I returned to our morning workout routine, but at a lower intensity. Instead of running, we took strolls along our route. We would stand at our turn around spot and watch the sunrise over the water. Before heading back to base, we'd sneak the slightest of kisses and return to our professional statuses.

It would be another seven days before I was cleared for full contact. I met with Lancer-Captain Kells and Elder Maxson after Knight-Captain Cade signed off my RTD papers. They gave me three additional days off to go off-base and see my civilian friends after my brush with death. 

I packed my belongings and dressed in street clothes, happy to be rid of both the orange flight suit and the hospital gowns. My ripped jeans felt amazing to pull on for the first time since joining the Brotherhood- truthfully they felt a little loose around my waistline. I threw on a black tank-top and a long-sleeve purple flannel before lacing up my old knee-high boots. 

There was one stop I had to make before heading off base. It didn’t matter how many times I approached the door to Danse’s quarters, a sense of excited nerves stirred up. I knocked on his door, holding my breath until he opened it a few moments later. 

He smirked and invited me inside, “How’d your meeting go?” 

I shrugged with a smile before taking a seat on the edge of his bed. “I’m technically cleared for active duty. Maxson insisted that I take the weekend off and recuperate.” 

“So, are you heading off base?” 

“Diamond City. I need to check on my apartment and let my friends know I’m not dead,” I smirked.

An hour passed between us as we talked. I was lying across Danse’s bed on my stomach with _Understanding Robotics VI_ open in front of me, watching the Paladin mod a new laser rifle he just bought off of Teagan. I twirled my fingers through the chain of my holotags as we talked about nothing important. 

Someone in the doorway cleared their throat; I jumped, and Danse turned around quickly to see who was behind him. It was Elder Maxson, who looked at us with a raised eyebrow and his normal unpleasant expression. I felt my face turn hot as his eyes moved to me sprawled out on the Paladin’s bed as if it were my own. I slowly stood up, never taking my eyes off of the Elder. 

“Knight Andrews,” Maxson said, drawing out each syllable. “I’m surprised to still see you aboard.” 

“I, uh…” I started, knowing that I wanted to say _I wanted to let Paladin Danse know I was leaving_ but the words wouldn’t come out. 

“Elder,” Danse spoke up and calmly stood from his chair, “I believe it is my fault for delaying her departure. I wanted her input on this new gun mod. It seems that we got carried away.”

The Elder turned his eyes upon Danse now, “I see. Well, as Knight Andrews has not yet left, I would rather you accompany her off base for the weekend. She seems to have a knack of getting herself in trouble when left alone.” 

_Oh, fuck you, buddy._

“Of course, sir,” Danse said. 

Maxson turned and strolled off down the hall of the Prydwen. When he was out of earshot, Danse and I looked at each other with the same expression of relief. It was both comic and worrisome that we had the same reaction to the Elder’s surprise appearance. 

“So…” I said, unable to mask my excitement, “You’re coming with me then?” 

“Affirmative,” He smirked. 

“You shouldn’t wear anything Brotherhood.” I said, and under Danse’s questioning look I added, “We’re supposed to be off duty for the weekend. I don’t want to see another orange flight suit until Sunday night.” 

He laughed but agreed to my terms. 

I sat on the Paladin’s bed again, my old textbook open in my lap, as he packed his belongings into his knapsack. We picked up where we left off in our conversation before the Elder interrupted us. Danse even changed his clothes with me in full view. I enjoyed the view, peeking up from my textbook to look at his muscular form. 

Once he was fully dressed, I closed my textbook and looked him over. He wore a white T-shirt with an unbuttoned green and black flannel over top, a pair of nicely fitted blue jeans, and his boots. He left his holotags around his neck, keeping them out from underneath his shirt, much as I did.

“We almost match,” I pointed to my outfit. “You look good in street clothes,” I gave him another once over, to which his cheeks flushed pink as he smiled.

“Before I procrastinate this any further,” Danse cleared his throat and reached into his closet. “I want to give this to you, as a... _recovery_ present.” He pulled out my brother’s sniper rifle.

I gasped at the sight of the gun, “Oh my God! I thought I had lost this forever.” 

“It took quite a bit of damage in the fall. I hope you like the upgrades,” He handed the gun over gingerly. “You should find the bolt-action easier to pull back, and the scope is brand new. If you need the sights adjusted I would be more than happy to tweak it for you.” 

I set the gun down and stood, wrapping my arms around Danse. “Thank you. This means more to me than you know.” 

He slowly put his arms around me, “You’re welcome. It’s the least I can do.” 

Together, we walked out of his quarters. Danse led the way to the flight deck as we continued our casual conversation of which he spewed history facts about the old baseball stadium. I started heading to the vertibird reserved for lifting soldiers from the base to the Prydwen. Danse, however, walked over to the Lancers that were on standby for immediate travel. I stopped in my tracks and looked at him with a curious glance. 

“What?” He smiled with a laugh, “Were you planning on walking?” 

I smirked, “ _Maybe_. You’re going to have them fly us there?”

“Of course,” He smirked, “I _do_ have some pull, being a Paladin and all.” 

I rolled my eyes with a laugh but followed him towards the vertibird without hesitation, “Are you going to have them pick us up Sunday, too?” 

“Affirmative,” Danse smirked, taking my bag from me before giving me a hand into the aircraft. 

We touched down at the Cambridge police station, to which Danse and I would walk the rest of the way. It was a warm and sunny day, with a light breeze and clear skies. It reminded me of the later spring days that Brandy and I use to lie out on beach towels in the middle of CIT’s courtyard when we should have been studying for finals, but couldn’t mentally fathom being locked in a room reading our notes. The memory seemed so out of place as it was currently January and the ground should be covered in snow and the air should be stinging my face. 

“Roxi, can I ask you something off the record?” Danse said hastily, looking over his shoulder to make sure there wasn’t anyone who could see or hear us. 

“Of course,” I smiled at him. 

He sucked in a deep breath, “Before I ask, I want to... _make it known_ that this question has been on my mind for a long time. And I figured, being away from the base, that this would be the best time to bring up the subject. If we’re going to...be _closer_ , I want nothing but the truth between us. And so, I have to ask...what happened between you and Elder Maxson to make you uncomfortable around him?” 

_Fuuuuck_. I stopped short, wanting to spout off a quick lie and move along but deep down, I knew I needed to tell him. “I...Danse...I don’t…” I let out a heavy sigh. I looked around my shoulder to make sure no one was near, “Can I tell you when we get to Diamond City? I promise I will tell you everything, but it’s a long story.” 

“Of course,” He nodded.

We continued on our walk, arm in arm, towards the Wall of Diamond City. I felt the butterflies in my stomach at Danse’s touch; I was the Paladin’s girl- at least, for the weekend. As we approached the stadium wall, a familiar dog jumped out from one of the alleyways. 

“Dogmeat!” I called. The dog turned immediately and started sprinting towards me, almost knocking me down. “Good boy,” I said, petting his silky fur coat and scratching behind his ears. “If you’re here, then where’s Nick?” 

Dogmeat gave a friendly bark then trotted back to where he came and pointed towards the alleyway with his nose and lifted a front paw. 

“Remember what I told you about Nick, Danse,” I whispered. Danse rolled his eyes, I could read this mind: _Oh,_ that _Nick._

“Well, well, well,” Nick said as we met in the alleyway. “Looks like Dogmeat found something.” 

“Hey, Nick,” I smiled, “How are you?”

“Can’t complain. Dogmeat and I are on our way back from Vault 81. You should pay them a visit, Rox. Austin misses you. Anyway, how’s the Brotherhood treating you?” 

I laughed with a little bit of nervousness, “Things are going well. By the way, Danse, this is Nick Valentine. Nick, this is Paladin Danse. Please be nice to each other around me.” 

Nick chuckled, “You don’t have to worry about me, kiddo. But if looks could kill…” 

I turned to Danse, who was glaring at the Synth Detective with every ounce of distaste he could muster. Danse turned his head as if to crack his neck, then growled, “If it wasn’t for you helping Roxi in the past, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

“Okay. Great.” I interrupted the discussion before it could get any worse. “Let’s _all_ get back to Diamond City before we decide to start killing each other.” 

The four of us walked into the gates of the city, to which Danny Sullivan and his fellow guards gave me a whooping hello. I blushed as they gently harassed me about my disappearance and the “new guy” that I brought with me. 

“We were about to start looking for ya, Roxi,” Danny said with a grin. 

“Oh,” I said with a raised eyebrow and hands on my hips, “I thought you’se guys didn’t look into disappearances?” 

The guards all gave an uncomfortable laugh at my jab to the Diamond City mayor’s direct orders to avoid looking into disappearances. An order I learned about quickly upon my first arrival. 

Valentine parted off to speak with Danny, while Danse, Dogmeat, and I walked upstairs to the city entrance. _Ah,_ I thought to myself, _Diamond City hasn’t changed a bit_. Dogmeat trotted off to his own doggy duties, leaving Danse and me to walk into the city together. On the way through the market, Piper’s little sister ran up and hugged me, almost knocking me backward.

“Roxi’s back! The Vault Dweller is back!” 

“Hey, kid,” I laughed. “You and your sister staying out of trouble?” 

Nat laughed, “Yeah _, right_ . I thought you were _dead_.” 

“Well,” I chuckled, “You’re probably not that only one that thinks that.” 

“ _Roxi!_ ” Called Piper as she exited the door to her home, “Where have you _been_?” She ran and wrapped her arms around me. 

“I’ve been busy,” I said despite being crushed in her bear hug.

Piper released me, “You look _great_. And not dead, so that’s a plus. Who’s your friend?” She eyed Danse up and down. 

“Piper this is Paladin Danse of The Brotherhood of Steel. Danse this is Piper, the journalist here in Diamond City. I used to do the morning radio show with her before enlisting.” 

“ _Wow_ , so you really _did_ join the Brotherhood of Steel,” Piper stared at me in awe. “I guess you can’t _divulge_ any Brotherhood secrets for me then, huh?” 

“Sorry, no can do. Classified,” I smirked. I could feel Danse’s approving gaze upon me. 

“Damn. Oh well, it was worth a shot. Hey, I’m printing right now, but uh, Dugout tonight?” 

“Yeah, for sure! We’re going to get settled in.” I smiled and waved goodbye. Danse and I turned and started on the path to my apartment. “Everyone in this damn city is going to hear that I’m back now that the town crier knows.” 

“At least they’ll stop asking if you’re dead,” He mused.

My apartment key still turned the lock, so I guessed it still belonged to me. I entered the apartment to find nothing out of place, although a considerable amount of dust had piled up in my absence. We got ourselves settled in and took a seat on my old bed. 

“Alright,” I sighed, “I told you I’d tell you what happened with Maxson. Do you remember returning to the Prydwen after the mission at Fort Strong?” 

“Yes, you stayed up late to work on your power armor.” 

“Yes, exactly. Okay- so…” 

The left leg actuator was sticky alright- just as Proctor Ingram had warned when I first put on the suit. The power armor did its job during the Fort Strong mission, but it was annoying to have to overextend my left leg every once and a while to get it unstuck. Not only that, but the suit made me feel trapped and on several occasions, I had to calm myself down. Danse was in his full-on-no-bullshit Paladin mode and there wasn’t a chance in hell I would give him a reason to be disappointed.

I had wished Danse a goodnight after returning to the base, determined to work out the kinks, and improve the armor. It was late, the radio played softly in the far corner, and I was deep in thought with my repairs. I was covered in power armor grease and sweat from ripping the metal plating off of the suit. The repair itself was simple, but of course, I found several new tasks to get my hands into by finishing one project. The workshop was otherwise vacant, the only sounds of fellow soldiers were the occasional passing of a Knight on patrol on the floor above. It had been a long time since I got my hands dirty with a repair, and I was loving the solitude. My mechanical skills were still sharp, taking over my senses to focus on all of these little tasks. 

“Isn’t it a little late, Knight?” 

The voice made me jump. I looked around my power armor to find Elder Maxson watching me with amusement. “I’m sorry, sir. I got carried away.” 

“Oh, I know. I’ve been watching you for quite a while.” 

My cheeks flushed; I didn’t have a reply. I just stared up at him on my knees. 

He strolled over to me, coming behind the power armor stand and looking over my work. “Not bad, Knight.” 

“Thank you, sir,” I made to stand, but a hand on my back stopped me. I froze in place, a sense of danger running down my spine. 

Maxson moved to stand in front of me, bringing his hand under my chin, raising my gaze to his. He had a smirk on his face that told me his thoughts were full of ill intent. The hairs on my arms stood up on end as fear rippled through me. 

“You have such a pretty face,” he said, brushing my cheek with his thumb. “Too pretty for the battlefield. But such a fierce fighter.” 

“I’ve chosen my path,” I said, trying to stay calm despite the alarms going off inside my head.

“Mhm. So it seems,” his thumb brushed against my lips. “But don’t forget who lets you continue that path, Roxi. I can always change things to fit what _I_ want.” 

“And you want the Institute. I’ll bring you to them,” I said, trying to settle this conversation and move on.

He let out a laugh and put pressure on my lower jaw with his fingertips. “Yes, you will. Like a good girl. Like a _smart_ girl. I’m willing to overlook the _friends_ you kept before joining the Brotherhood. I’m willing to overlook your mercenary record. As long as you behave. As long as you stay _loyal_ . _Loyal_ to _me_. And the Brotherhood. I can take away whatever I deem necessary to ensure your corporation. You do that, and I’ll turn a blind eye to the means for you to find the Institute. Is that understood?” 

“Yes, Elder. I understand.”

“Good girl,” He said, easing the pressure of his fingertips digging into my jawline. “Keep this conversation between the two of us.” 

“Of course, sir.” 

His thumb brushed against my bottom lip and let out a devious deep chuckle. He dropped his hand and walked away, bidding me a rather haunting goodnight- one that echoed the manner of which I had told Paladin Danse goodnight outside of his quarters. I couldn’t help but tremble in fear on the floor of the workshop. 

That was a warning. It was a fucking _threat_. What did he know about my past? What did he dig up? Did he know I worked with Nick Valentine? The synth detective. Did he know I worked for Hancock? The ghoul mayor of Goodneighbor. Did he know I ran one merc job for Deacon? The Railroad agent. 

“...So, ever since then, I’ve felt _very_ threatened by him.” 

Danse stared at me with anger and shock on his face, “Why didn’t you come to me after this, Roxi?” 

My hands were trembling, and my face was hot with embarrassment, “I was afraid that if I told you, or anyone, Maxson would retaliate. I also...at the time...wasn’t sure how you would react. Or if you would even believe me.” 

“I’m sorry this happened to you. I don’t know why he would have thought to do something to this extent. It is inexcusable.” 

“Danse, please don’t tell him I told you,” I whispered, on the edge of tears. 

“Roxi, I-” 

“- _Please_. Don’t. I knew you were going to get upset, one way or another, so I didn’t tell you. You always spoke so highly of Maxson, I didn’t...want to cause problems. But, I knew that as long as you were my C.O. I’d be okay. As long as you’re aboard the Prydwen, I don’t think he’d do anything to me.”

The look on his face was breaking my heart. There was so much sadness in his eyes. “Arthur and I have had our share of respectful disagreements. And to be honest, this is the most I have ever second-guessed him.” 

“Really?” I asked, wiping away my tears. This was the first time I had ever heard the straight and narrow- who bleeds Brotherhood colors- Paladin Danse admit to any doubts of Brotherhood intentions. “You don’t understand how relieved I am to hear you say that.” 

“Please, Roxi, if he does something like this again, you need to tell me. _Promise_ me that you’ll tell me.” 

“I promise, Danse. I’m sorry I’ve kept this hidden for so long.” 

“Don’t be sorry. What Arthur did was wrong, it is an abuse of power, and I will not stand by that continued behavior. It’s too late for me to fix the past, but I’ll be damned if I let this happen going forward.” 

“Thank you, Danse,” I took one of his hands in both of mine. “But, for now, we’re alone and off duty. So no more Brotherhood talk,” I tried to smile. 

“I don’t know how well I’ll do at _that_ ,” He snorted. 

I laughed, standing to kick off my shoes and slip off my jeans. Danse froze on the bed, staring at me as I partially undressed in front of him. He was trying to speak, but he was a babbling mess. I let out a giggle at this mess of a man as I pulled off my flannel and crawled back onto the bed to lie down. I pulled the stunned Paladin towards me on the bed. 

“Roxi,” He said, lying to the bed in the most ridiculous rigid form I’ve ever seen as he tried to avoid touching me, “I-this-I can’t-you-you-you-you’re…” 

I laughed again, “Lighten up, Danse. It isn’t the first time you’ve been next to me without pants on.” 

His eyes widened and deeply blushed, “ _What?_ ” 

“Come on,” I said and bit my lip to avoid letting out another giggle, “Take a nap with me.” 

It took a few minutes, but Danse finally made himself comfortable. I curled up against him, running my hand through his hair as we stared into each other's eyes. He looked awestruck- it was adorable. His eyes scanned my face as he cautiously placed a hand on my waist. 

“Just so you know, I give you full permission to touch me wherever you’d like,” I smirked. 

His cheeks turned a deep red, “Roxi, _stop_ that.” 

I let out a laugh, “I’m just saying.”

He chuckled nervously, “I’m not...very good at this sort of...relationship. You’ll have to be patient with me.” 

“I know,” I smiled, brushing back his hair with my fingertips. “I just know we won’t have many of these moments.” 

At this, he slid his hand from my waist to my back, securing me in place. “You’re right, we won’t.” 

“Are you...worried? About breaking decorum.” 

“I am.”

“If you don’t want this to go any further, then we should stop,” I said, although it hurt to admit. It was the opposite of what I wanted, but I’d do anything to make sure Danse was comfortable. 

He sighed, “I don’t want to stop. I don’t want to pretend that we don’t care for one another. But, I also know the risks that come with what we’re doing.” 

“I’m just going to go out on a limb and say you’ve never done anything this rebellious against the Brotherhood before.” 

A small smile played on his lips, “You would be correct.” 

“And...I’m assuming that we’re not the first couple to break the rules.” 

“You would be correct again.” 

“What happened to the couples that were caught?” 

“It depends on the situation. Some were brought up on charges because they could have compromised- or they _did_ compromise- a mission. Some were stripped of their ranks.” 

“But...like, the Squires- they’re children of Brotherhood members. So...relationships are allowed at some point in time, right?” 

“When we are at peacetime, yes. After we defeated the Enclave, we were considered to be in peacetime, even though the work was never done. But in wartime, such things are frowned upon. Most couples are placed on separate teams to avoid distractions.” 

“Hmm. So...if we finish this war with the Institute...will we be able to be more open?” 

He smiled softly, “You’ll be taken off of my team. I wouldn’t be your C.O. anymore.”

“ _Oh._ ” 

“Roxi, I don’t think I’ll be your C.O. for much longer anyhow. I think you’re on your way to being promoted.” 

“I’d rather stay with you,” I said quietly, dropping my eyes from his, feeling foolish. 

He snorted, “You’re too fine of a soldier not to be brought up through the ranks. Especially after the bravery, you showed at camp against that Deathclaw.”

I let out a grown and tucked my head to be against his shoulder. 

“I thought you said no Brotherhood talk.” 

“I failed,” I sighed. 

“Hey,” He said, squeezing me with the arm he had wrapped around me. I moved so I could look into his eyes again. “Just because we’re in love doesn’t mean we have to stop fighting for what we believe in. It just means we can’t let it interfere with our work.” 

“You’re right, Danse” I smiled, and kissed him gently on the lips. 

Danse always looked so shocked after we kissed. It was so _goddamn_ adorable I felt my heart was going to explode. I curled into him, entwining our legs together, and closed my eyes. I listened to his slow and deep breathing, helping me drift off to sleep. 

After our nap, I dressed and brushed my hair before heading out for the evening. I showed Danse around the city and told him a few stories that made me Diamond City famous. As it started to get dark the stadium lights clicked on, which was our cue to make way for the Dugout Inn. 

As we entered the doorway, my eyes caught a wall of photographs. The entire right wall was covered, lined neatly in rows, and the left wall was just starting to gain its own collection. I was drawn to look at each one, raising some curiosity out of Danse. Each picture had either the bar workers or the customers, acting goofy or smiling for the camera. It painted a picture of fun and laughter, although the world outside was still so dull and bleak. 

“I fixed a camera and gave it to Vadim,” I explained. “He _loved_ it. Scarlett must have put these pictures up, they’re too neat to be Vadim’s handy work.” 

We slowly walked down the hall, checking out the pictures of the bar’s shenanigans. I was in a lot of the pictures- posing with Cait while bartending or dancing together on the bar. Further down, to my immense embarrassment, was a picture that I had posed for with MacCready’s sniper rifle with my partially unzipped vault suit on top of the bar. I felt the heat rise to my face as Danse looked it over for a long moment. He looked back to me with a raised eyebrow. 

I started to laugh, “They put me up to it- I couldn’t say no to five hundred caps.” 

Danse shook his head, “They should use that as an advertisement poster.” I couldn’t help but laugh, and yet quickly get away from that provocative photo. 

There was a picture of Vadim posing with his brother, Yefim, who looked as unimpressed as ever. There was a picture of Cait and Scarlett sitting at the bar after closing time, both with a beer in hand and Cait with a black eye. Near the end of the hall was a picture of me and Deacon, one arm around each other, both with a drink in our free hand, partying with confetti falling around us. I stopped to look at the image, reliving that night for a moment, and how I felt that I had found a place in this world. 

“Who’s that?” Danse asked, pointing to the picture I was staring at. 

“That’s my friend, Deacon.” 

“You’ve never mentioned him.” 

“I guess I haven’t. That’s the way he would like it though.” I smiled up at Danse, who was still looking at the picture. “Don’t worry. He’s just a friend,” I tugged at the Paladin’s arm, and led on into the bar. 

As soon as I crossed through the threshold and into the light of the bar, Vadim caught sight of me. His eyes lit up with excitement, throwing his arms in the air, and proclaiming in Russian, “ _You’re home!_ ” The entire bar seemed to turn and look at me, then cheered when they realized who had walked in. It was like a celebrity had just entered. I looked around the bar, both startled by the cheering, and excited to be back. I walked over to Vadim and hugged him- in actuality, Vadim crushed me in a bear hug and refused to let go until Piper came over and told him to drop me. Danse stared at us, confused and completely out of his element. Vadim insisted on taking a picture of Danse and me together, which we obliged because truly there wasn’t a way to tell this man _no_. 

Piper walked us to our favorite table near the back, she was joined by a few others. I didn’t realize who she was within until I turned the corner. Preston stood up and hugged me. MacCready stared at me from underneath the brim of his hat; his eyes widened when he caught sight of Danse. I instantly felt a deep personal satisfaction out of watching MacCready squirm when Danse and I sat down next to each other. I introduced everyone, giving Danse a short synopsis of how we all met and what they did for a living. 

“Cready,” I said, and my throat immediately went dry. “How...how did things go?” 

It had been months since I saw him. The last time I was RJ MacCready, we had gone separate ways at the gate of Goodneighbor after getting the cure for his son. Cready wasn’t certain that he would even return to the Commonwealth if things went well…

His blue eyes met mine, and I feared the answer. There was pain in those eyes, and he took a long time to respond, causing an awkwardness around the table. “Things went...well. Duncan made a full recovery.” 

I gasped, “ _Really?_ That’s... _fantastic_ news!” 

He let a small smile escape his sour demeanor, “Yeah. We moved the homestead to Sanctuary.” 

“I’m happy for you, Cready. Truly. I hope I get the chance to meet him.” 

Preston scoffed, “I mean, you can always come to visit, Rox. Sanctuary is your home, too, ya know?”

I tried to smile and laugh it off, but subconsciously my hand grasped my holotags and I looked up to the Brotherhood Paladin next to me. “I wish it were that easy, Preston.” 

“We _were_ wondering if you ran off and joined the Brotherhood,” Preston said, sitting back in his chair with disappointment on his face. “I guess we were right.” 

“I watched their ship fly over when they left the Capital Wasteland,” Cready said before taking a swig of his beer, “I had a feeling you’d end up with them in some shape or form.” 

“I didn’t go looking for enlistment,” I said sternly. “I met up with Danse here before the Prydwen even showed up.” 

Preston and MacCready turned their cold stares towards Danse. 

Danse cleared his throat, “Roxi saved my team. Her skills were impressive, and I offered her to join us. She declined at first, but…” I looked up to him to find that he was fondly looking down at me.

“I had some business to finish with the Institute's attack dog. After that...after watching the Prydwen fly over, I knew what I needed to do.” 

Preston and MacCready exchanged looks before both finishing their beers. Preston spoke next, “So I guess you know what happened at the Castle.” 

“The Castle?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. 

Preston sighed heavily, “I felt that the Minute Men needed to take back Fort Independence for a base of operations. We got there, cleared out the mirelurks, and started to set up shop. That’s when the Brotherhood came in and told us we couldn’t operate within their airspace. They told us either we left on our own, or they’d use force to get us to leave. So, we left.” 

“When was this? I didn’t hear about this.” I looked up to Danse, “Did you know about this?” He shook his head _no_. 

“Roxi, it doesn’t matter now. We can’t take the Castle without the Brotherhood threatening us, so we’re still operating out of Sanctuary. _Far_ from the Brotherhood’s base.” 

Cait came over with a round of drinks for the table, plopping down on Piper’s lap, breaking the tension. She gave Piper a kiss before turning her attention to everyone at the table. I stared at the couple. 

“You two? _Finally_?” I asked with excitement. 

“For what, now?” Cait said, looking to Piper, “Two months?” 

Piper rolled her eyes, “ _Three_ months and _four_ days.” 

“Time flies when you’re having fun,” Cait smirked. 

Piper looked up and caught a glance at someone heading towards us. “Hey, Roxi, here comes your bestie.” 

I snapped my head around, finding Deacon walking casually towards us. I jumped from my chair, running to meet him. I stopped short of the man in shades, to which he gave me a crooked smile and held out his fist. We went through our entire secret handshake before I threw my arms around him with a laugh.

“Hey, chicka,” Deacon said through the hug. 

“Now,” I said, pulling from the hug, “Did you actually get an invite, Deacon? Or did you stalk me here?”

“News gets around fast when the Vault Dweller makes her miraculous return to the great green jewel,” he smirked, then became serious again. “I’m only here to confirm something.” 

“Confirm what?” I asked, staring at him with wide eyes, knowing all too well what he meant. 

He gestured towards my holotags, “You’re Brotherhood property now.” 

I didn’t have a reply for him, only dropping my eyes to the floor. 

“Listen. Just...promise me that if you don’t feel safe anymore...go AWOL and come find me. Find _us_. One if by land, two if by sea. Alright?”

“Wait, you mean...you can’t even stick around? Just for one drink?” 

“No,” he grimaced. “I can’t. The Brotherhood can’t be trusted. I’m sorry, Roxi.” 

I nodded, feeling a twinge of pain in my chest, “I understand.” 

“I meant what I said. When you realize the amount of danger you’re in...find me. We’ll keep you safe from them.”

“Okay...I’ll...see you around,” I tried to fake a smile, but deep down, I wanted to cry. 

“I’ll probably see _you_ more than you see _me_ ,” Deacon smirked, but it quickly fell from his face. He shoved his hands into his pockets.

“I’ll be sure to wave every once and awhile. Just in case.” 

He let out a sad excuse of a chuckle, “You do that. Goodbye, Roxi.” 

“Goodbye, Deacon” 

I returned to the table and pretended that nothing happened. When asked why Deacon didn’t join us, I said that he was just passing through and had to be on his way. I tried to keep myself from seeming melancholy. Those that sat around this table were people I had considered friends, but I knew, just like Deacon, they found it uncomfortable to sit with two members of the Brotherhood. Preston hadn’t hidden his disappointment in me, and I’m sure he had a few choice words that he wanted to share but kept them to himself. They must all think me an idiot. 

If there was any way I could make it up to them, I would. Though I didn’t pull the strings, and I was in too deep for my own good. For fuck's sake, I was helplessly head over heels for Maxson’s favorite field officer, my own Commanding Officer- I couldn’t just turn away from the Brotherhood. Still...I believed they were my best choice to get to the Institute. That was my end goal, after all, to find Shaun and keep my promise to my brother and his wife. 

As the night grew later, the music got louder, prompting Cait to pull Piper and me onto the dance floor. It left the boys all together, which made me a little nervous. I think Preston and Danse would get along, but I knew Danse would sense MacCready’s sour attitude. I knew Danse’s eyes never left me as I danced with Piper and Cait, and that any conversation he was holding had faded to the background.

The next song started, and I immediately turned to meet Danse’s eyes. I beaconed him to come out on the dance floor with one finger. He shook his head no. I placed my hands on my hips and bit my lip, not breaking eye contact with him. That did it- Danse rose to his feet and met me on the dance floor, putting his arms around me, trying to find the rhythm of the song. We were having fun; he was smiling and laughing, and so was I. 

It was after two in the morning when Danse and I made our way back to my apartment. Once we had started dancing together, it was like we couldn’t keep away from each other. Our newly found freedom of flirting led us back to my place, and we barely got through the front door before we were entwined. The first kiss was soft, tempting. The second kiss led us into a whirlwind. To feel his lips, his beard lightly scratching my face, his tongue...I was completely spellbound. 

We undressed each other while trying to kick off our boots at the same time. Our hurried and trembling fingers touched newly exposed skin. His hot breath sent shivers down my spine. Danse brought his hands around my hips and lifted me. I wrapped my legs around him as he sat down on the bed with me on this lap. 

“Are you sure you want to go this far?” I asked before sending a trail of kisses down his neck.

“You said it yourself- we won’t have many opportunities. I don’t want to regret anything we could have done when we had the chance.” 

“Then...how do you want me?” I whispered in his ear- he shivered. “I will admit, my hips are still a little sore. So...either you take it soft and slow...or I can be on top.” 

“Let’s have you on top,” He replied eagerly. 

I giggled, “You got it.” 

We removed the last bit of our clothing, discarding them carelessly onto the floor. I stood in front of him, letting his hands travel my torso at his pleasure. I bent down and kissed him; his hands traveled down my backside and began massaging my ass. I gently brought my hand around his fully erected member- he let out a sigh at my touch. I moved from his lips and started descending my kisses down his neck and torso until I sat on my knees in front of him. His eyes stared down at me filled with longing, his lips slightly parted.

I placed a hand on each leg, coasting him to spread his legs wider. I took him into my mouth; he grasped the bedding as I switched from sucking, licking, and teasing. I held as much of him as possible and let out a moan- he let out a pleasured whimper. Pulling from him, he made a sound of protest. I stood up and pushed him down onto the bed so I could straddle him. I took one of his hands and brought it to my lips, gently sucking on his thumb, before guiding him to my sex and placing his thumb on my clit. 

“Be gentle,” I smirked.

Danse complied well with my instructions and was eager to please. I rewarded him by shifting my hips to bring the tip of his cock to my entrance. Slowly, I pushed myself down, feeling him slide inside, stretching me. I let out a gasp, it had been a long time since I’ve had sex, and Danse was quite large. 

“Are you alright? Are you in pain?” Danse asked with worry. 

“I’m alright. You’re just... _really_ big,” I moaned and started to allow more of him inside me. “It feels _so_ good.” 

Once I had fully taken his cock, I allowed myself a moment again to adjust to him. I circled my hips around, enjoying the sensation of being so full and stretched. Danse sucked in a breath as I picked up my speed, moving from circular motions to bouncing up and down. He brought his hands around my hips, tightening his grip to help control my pace. I moaned loudly, calling out his name, touching myself in rhythm with my movements. I didn’t care if someone in the surrounding apartments could hear me. 

“ _Roxi_ ,” He panted, “I’m not going to last much longer.” 

“ _Danse,_ ” I cried out, “ _Come inside me_.” 

His hips bucked hard against me several times as he moaned loudly, fingers gripping my ass. I felt the warmth of his seed spill into me as I kept fucking. The sensation of his come sent me over the edge, and I cried out in release, collapsing on top of him. 

[Danse & Roxi (Art Commission)](https://eluvisen.tumblr.com/post/614424750421393408/commission-for-foxeyes13-of-danse-and-roxi)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was written and edited to the following:
> 
> Sorry- Madonna  
> LOST IN THE ECHO- Linkin Park  
> Don't You (Forget About Me)- Simple Minds  
> Fireshrine- Purity Ring


	24. Chapter 24

#  **MacCready**

Watching Roxi dance with that Brotherhood jerk set my teeth on edge. No amount of alcohol would lead me to accept the scene of her in that guy’s arms. The only thing alcohol would do is fuel me with enough stupidity to try and start a fight. I’d lose that fight in a split second; that Brotherhood guy had inches and muscle on me. He could probably throw me across the room with one hand. 

I couldn’t sit there and watch Roxi swinging her hips and hair back and forth, wrapped up in _his_ arms anymore. I couldn’t take another second of watching those two smiling at one another. I snuffed out my cigarette, chugged my beer, and left the bar to lock myself in my motel room.

I flopped down onto the bed and stared at the ceiling. The music from the bar was muffled, but still enough to piss me off. Each song reminded me of why I left the bar, replaying the images like a bad dream. I felt empty and alone, unable to deny that Roxi had filled the void that Lucy's death set deep inside me. Now, that void was back and darker than ever. I wished that I had never met her.

What were the odds that we’d run into her here anyway? She hadn’t been seen for months, even the locals wrote her off as dead. They figured that the Institute got her since she was poking a sleeping bear and gloating about it. Not a single soul was surprised that she didn’t turn up one day. 

Preston and I left for Sanctuary the following morning. I had slept like shit and it only added to my sour mood. We walked several miles out of the city before Preston tried to stir up a conversation. I kept blowing him off with grunts or short answers, but the man was persistent. He hated traveling in silence, it was something I learned within the first five minutes of agreeing to this voyage. 

I wasn’t _part_ of Preston’s Minutemen, per se. He got the bright idea of taking over the Castle and asked me to train up some soldiers on shooting. In return, Preston promised for free seeds to kickstart the next planting season. It was a cheap deal, but my family’s new homestead needed a helping boost. I told him that I would think about it.

Preston gave the word, and within the next three days, a large encampment of his Minutemen buddies had pitched tents around the outside of the Sanctuary walls. It was kind of a cool sight to see in the evening with all of the cookfires and lanterns lighting up their sea of makeshift tents. Duncan was enthralled by the Minutemen’s response to their call of duty. Of course, the kid just _had_ to ask me if I was part of the Minutemen, and there was nothing worse than disappointing your kid. The next morning, I agreed to Preston’s deal as long as he didn’t give me some stupid title. 

“So…” Preston started. It was his way of leading into talking about something unpleasant. “Roxi’s a Brotherhood Knight, huh?” 

I grunted and waved my hand to dismiss the conversation. 

“She looks happy- which is saying something. I remember how scared and depressed she was when we first met. I’m glad she’s found some happiness,” Preston went on. “That Danse guy has his hands full with her keeping her in line, though.” 

“Yeah, whatever.” 

“What’s _your_ problem, Mac?” Preston asked, stopping in the middle of the road to give me a scolding look. 

I kept pushing forward, “They deserve each other.” 

“Mac, come on.” 

“Listen, I don’t want to talk about her,” I spun on my heels and glared at him. “I don’t want to think about her. I want _nothing_ to do with _her_.” 

“Are you upset because she was with another guy?” 

“ _Bah_ ,” I waved him off and started walking again. 

“That’s what it is!” Preston ran to catch up with me. “You had me fooled, I didn’t think you liked her that much.” 

I shot him a side glance, “I don’t. And you know what, I wish you had told her the entire truth about those Brotherhood jerks at the Castle.” It was a low blow but at least it would get him off the subject of that _Danse_ guy.

He shifted uncomfortably, “I...it isn’t her fault. She had no part in it.” 

“That’s just it! She _is_ part of it. That’s how the whole lot of them are- you’re either with them or against them!” 

“Come on, man. It’s still Roxi we’re talking about.” 

“ _Knight_ Roxi, Preston. They’ll chew her up, use her for her brains and enthusiasm to get to the Institute, and then they’ll stab her in the back and leave her for dead. Mark my words,” I shook my head furiously. “I wish you told her how they came into the Castle with their guns waving around and threatened us to leave. There _wasn’t_ an ultimatum besides getting gunned down, and you damn well know that.” 

“Mac, come on. It wasn’t Roxi doing it. I’m not going to pin this on her. Who knows, maybe if she was involved she would have said something to stop it.” 

“ _Oh_ , come on. She doesn’t have _that_ much authority.” 

“You don’t know that,” Preston shrugged. “If she doesn’t, then that Danse guy sure as hell does. And she has him wrapped around her finger. He would have listened to her.” 

“You should have told her about what they’re forcing your farms to do,” I snorted in disgust. “Giving up a percentage of their crops to the Brotherhood, without any _real_ compensation. What a load of bullcrap. And out of anything, _that_ should anger you the most, Preston.” 

“I am angry,” Preston stopped short in the middle of the road, looking down at his feet. “I’m _very_ angry about it, Mac. I’m furious about the whole goddamn thing!” He sliced his hand through the air and turned to look at the direction we had come. After a few moments, he turned back to me, softening his tone, “But you can’t blame Roxi. She probably doesn’t even know about what they’re doing to the farms. And I can _not_ keep thinking about what happened at the Castle. I have to move on and try something else. I have to build up the Minutemen morale again and calm things down. Yes, what the Brotherhood is doing is unjust. But we can’t fight them. So don’t stand there and humiliate me about this and that, when you’re blaming someone who wasn’t even there! It isn’t _my_ fault you figured out you liked her too late!” He saw the shock on my face, registering that his words hit a nerve. “Oh, don’t even give me _that_ look. She _tried_ to get your attention, and you blew her off.” 

“I didn’t blow her off-”

“-Yes. Yes, you did.” Preston rolled his eyes and shook his head, “But it doesn’t matter. We all have to move on, Mac. You. Me. Roxi. The Minutemen. Everyone. Now come on, we’re wasting daylight.” 

Preston trekked along without looking back for the rest of the trip. We stopped at the Starlight Drive-In settlement for the night, grabbing the last two open beds at the hostel. The settlement was small, but it was the most profit-turning location the Minutemen had at their disposal. It was the midway point and the heartbeat of trade for the northern settlements, attracting roadside merchants on their way to and from Diamond City. 

I laid in bed, listening to the snoring of strangers and the low sound of static from a radio some idiot left on. I probably could have slept through the noise of the static if it weren’t for the fact that it reminded me of Roxi messing with her Pipboy radio late at night. Blocking out the memory, I tried to think of Duncan.

Duncan would be eager to hear the tale of reclaiming the Castle. He would be disappointed to hear that the trip was anything but successful. I’d tell him the truth about what happened. He already knew about the Brotherhood from the Capital Wasteland, and he knew how much people hated them.

I’d start by telling Duncan how we got to the Castle and took out a bunch of mirelurks- even a queen. I’d tell him that we spent the majority of our days cleaning out the mirelurk nests and crumbled debris from years of neglect. I’d tell him how promising everything looked- because it did. The place looked great after a little TLC and elbow grease. Preston had started planning out how and where to build up extra housing in the center of the Castle grounds. He even had a team of farmers put wooden markers in the ground outside for an ideal area to grow crops. They got the radio tower up and running, starting their own Minutemen Radio Station to help improve rapid response to calls. 

I trained up troops on the front grounds on how to sharp shoot. Sure, all of them knew how to reload and pull the trigger, but they didn’t know how to _aim_. How to take out a target without unloading a slew of bullets into them. How to lie in wait, watching their target, and strike at the right time. The majority of the troops I trained were passable enough for close-range combat. But there were a few I had picked out of the bunch that could be prime snipers with some additional training. Preston was pleased with the results, and as a matter of fact, I was too.

But then...The Brotherhood showed up. We figured they were keeping a close eye on us. They flew around the Castle several times a day, sometimes even at night, hovering closer and closer each time they passed. As we grew and began building up our base, the more nervous the Brotherhood must have felt. Every time a vertibird hovered over our heads, the more information they were reporting back to their base. We wanted them to stop, but what could we do? Fire at them and the entire Brotherhood of Steel would descend upon us like hellfire. Wait for them to attack, and end up killed anyway. So we ignored them, barely sending a glance their way. 

I was helping build some planting boxes with a few other farmers when an entire platoon of power armor clad Brotherhood soldiers came stomping up the hill. Preston and a few of his buddies went to meet them, and immediately had guns in their faces. They gave us an option- halt all operations immediately, or wage war on the Brotherhood. The only excuse that had for their aggression was that we were operating within Brotherhood airspace, regardless of how peaceful our intentions were for this place. _By order of Elder Maxson_.

We were all forced to evacuate the Castle. They only gave us an hour before they threatened using force to make us leave. Some of the members from closer settlements went directly home. Others that lived further away ended up in Diamond City or Goodneighbor to grab a room before making a disappointing adventure back home. Those of us in Diamond City got shitfaced at the bar that night, spitting on the Brotherhood’s name while we drunkenly sang songs on the radio.

Preston and I stayed in Diamond City until we were the last of the Minutemen left. It took three days for the rest of the crew to head out and face going back to their normal lives. And that’s when everything else went to shit. 

The thought of being back in the normalcy of Sanctuary was an inviting thought. The family would go back to farming. We’d put in the hard work to put our own food on the table. We would hang onto hope that our yield would be enough to trade and turn a profit. We would pray every night that the Brotherhood stayed far away so we could keep the crops we rightfully grew.

Duncan would go back to learning the ways of working the land until he was old enough to make the choice to continue the farm life. Choices in life were limited, and farming had its advantages and disadvantages. Sometimes the farming life felt redundant, and I feared that the dullness would lead Duncan down the same path that I had in my early life. I don’t know if he truly understood what I did for a living as a merc. Lucy used to keep his questions answered, using the ploy that I had created about being a soldier when I had first met her. Maybe now he thought that I was a soldier for the Minutemen. But living a lie would only cause problems later in life.

And there was nothing worse than disappointing your kid...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was written and edited to the following: 
> 
> Ayo- HyperCrush  
> Little Smirk- Theory of a Deadman  
> Me & My Girl- Theory of a Deadman   
> Miss Murder- AFI  
> Oblivion- Shinedown   
> Watch You Bleed- Five Finger Death Punch


	25. Chapter 25

#  **Danse**

_ January 5th, 2289 _

  
  


I woke the next morning after a night of the most restful sleep I’ve had in years. Roxi was curled into my side, dressed only in my flannel and her underwear, sleeping soundly. I brushed back her soft white hair with my fingertips, looking at her pretty face with an overwhelming sense of...happiness. 

There was a part of me that knew what we were doing would lead us to nothing but trouble. Our actions have completely disregarded the Brotherhood’s decorum. I should have held myself together instead of casting caution to the wind that day in the infirmary. I was so overwhelmed with her recovery that I couldn’t stop myself. Knowing the risks, I still wouldn’t change a single thing. Before now, I never thought there was room in my life for something besides the Brotherhood. I didn’t know what I would do if I lost her. 

Roxi stirred awake and stretched out her body. She looked up to me, a sweet smile on her face and sleepiness still in her eyes. 

“Good morning,” Roxi mumbled. 

“Good morning,” I returned, gently stroking her hair. 

“How was last night for you?” She smirked, her fingers lightly tracing circles on my chest. 

“Exhilarating,” I smirked, thinking back upon last night's activities. “Do you know you talk in your sleep?” 

She laughed as she sat up, “What would you like to do today?” 

I couldn’t help but look over her body with want, “Well…”

“Well, after  _ me _ , of course,” she winked.

After another round of shaking the sheets, we readied ourselves for a walk around town. Roxi wanted to visit her old college dorm and find any belongings that may have survived the blast. We left Diamond City and made way for Cambridge. 

Upon arriving at the partially decapitated building, Roxi sighed heavily. She looked over the ruins for a long moment before proceeding forward. Inside we found what most buildings now held- discarded skeletons and rubble that littered floors. 

“Welp. It’s trashed,” Roxi sighed again. “I don’t know why I always get my hopes up.” 

“Where was your old dorm room?” I asked, trying to keep her spirits up somehow. She had a habit of remembering the world as it was and forgetting that that world was long gone. Her memories were extremely vivid, causing her to have obvious difficultly comprehending the destruction around her. 

“This way,” she nodded towards the left. “Third floor, if we can even make it up there.” 

Roxi took the lead, pistol at the ready, and peered into every room we passed along the way. She seemed to be looking for something in particular, and with every room, she became more hurried. I only hoped that she knew whatever she was looking for had been lost for over two hundred years...but I didn’t have the heart to remind her. 

Roxi darted into the stairwell, skipping two steps at a time on her ascent. The second floor was completely inaccessible. Roxi continued onward to the third floor without hesitation.

The building's condition deteriorated heavily on the third story. The floor was weak with a large hole in the center of the hallway. Above the hole in the ground was a matching gap in the ceiling. I looked up through the ceiling hole and found that the roof had caved in completely in this section. 

Roxi examined the scene with intensity. She was glaring at the hole of the floor and the exposed structural wooden beams. 

“I don’t think we can safely proceed-” 

“ _ -shhh _ ! Did you hear that?” She asked with wide eyes. 

“Hear what?” 

Roxi took off running, leaping over the hole in the floor and landing on the other side. 

“Be careful! You don’t know what it could be!” But then...I heard it. Footsteps on the other side of the collapsed floor, muffled as if coming from another room. 

Roxi rushed to a door that had debris littered in front of it, rendering it inaccessible. She started to rip away at the debris like a madman. Once she had enough clearance, she started to kick in the door that sat behind the mess. I called out for her to stop- but she wouldn’t listen. I tried to figure out a better path to reach her without leaping over the hole in the floor but found nothing of use. Roxi kicked the door one last time- I could hear the sound of splintering wood. She jumped through the hole she created, and immediately let out a high pitched shriek. The screams turned into sobs. 

I had no choice, I had to jump the gap. I ran forward and leaped across, hitting the floor hard and rolled back up onto my feet. I ripped away at the debris so I could get inside the room that Roxi had disappeared. The sobs continued- but it wasn’t just Roxi. There was someone else with her. 

I broke through the debris and crawled into the room. 

Roxi was standing in the center of the room clutching onto another woman, sobbing into each other’s shoulders. They pulled away to look at one another- the other woman was a ghoul, I could tell by the texture of her dark skin. 

“Roxi,” sniffled the ghoul, “How? How are you still alive?” 

“I was thrown into a vault, Brandy. It was a cryo facility. I’m the only one that survived.” 

“Oh my God,” The ghoul whispered. “And your  _ hair _ .”

Roxi let out a chuckle, “I know, it’s a tragedy.” She wiped away her tears with her sleeve, “Have you been trapped in here this entire time?” 

The ghoul let out a sharp sob, " _Yes_. I thought I'd never get out." 

Roxi turned her gaze upon me- there was fear in those eyes. She moved to stand between me and the ghoul. 

“Danse...please…” Roxi pleaded, “Just this once.” 

I looked to the ghoul, who ducked behind Roxi once my eyes fell upon her. This ghoul was Roxi’s old roommate- I remembered her name from Roxi’s pre-war stories. I closed my eyes and took a steadying breath. The answer should have been easy:  _ no _ . But...this was her friend...reunited after two hundred tragic years. 

“Just this once,” I nodded. 

Roxi let out a heavy sigh of relief, “Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Danse.” She turned back to Brandy. “We can get you to Goodneighbor. You’ll be safe there, and I think there might be someone who you’ll _really_ like there.” 

The ghoul’s eyes widened, “Really? Okay! Let me get some of my things. Oh! And I saved something of yours from the fires.” She started to pace around the room to collect her belongings before grabbing a leather-bound book and handed it to Roxi. “I...didn’t have much hope of seeing you again. So I wanted to keep this safe because when I found myself missing the old days, I would look through this.” 

Roxi was crying again as she held the book in her hands, “Thank you, Brandy. I...forgot all about this. I’m so glad you saved this.” 

“The cover’s a little singed...but the rest of the album is in good shape.” 

Roxi led the way to Goodneighbor, taking the less beaten path to avoid any Brotherhood soldiers in Cambridge. Brandy stayed between Roxi and me, completely unarmed and unable to defend herself. The two girls reminisced about their favorite spots around town as we passed the remains of the buildings. They both took a moment of silence outside of their favorite beauty salon, gazing upon the dilapidated bricks with fondness. 

“I could really go for a pedicure,” Brandy mused. 

“I really need my hair dyed,” Roxi sighed. “These grays are getting out of control.” The three of us laughed at her quip before moving along. 

We reached the gates of Goodneighbor unscathed. Roxi braced Brandy about the neighborhood but promised that she would be safe here. I kept my safety off as we crossed the threshold, not liking the look of the area one bit. 

Roxi stopped short, looking up at an oncoming pedestrian, “Nick! What...what are  _ you _ doing here?” 

“I was just leaving to find you,” the synth detective smirked. “Dr. Amari had a breakthrough with that piece of brain we found.” 

“ _ Kellogg’s _ ?” She gasped, “That’s miraculous! I...gotta get Brandy settled and then I’ll meet you there.” 

“Sounds like a plan,” the synth nodded, “I’ll let the doc know you’re coming.” 

Roxi led the way into the State House while the synth detective walked back into town. The inside of the State House smelled much like the streets collaborated in a contained area, making the stench of urine, stale booze, body odor, and cigarette smoke mixed in a visible haze. The guards here- most of them being ghouls- glared at the three of us. Roxi led us upstairs, unphased by the unpleasant looks thrown our way. 

We stood outside a set of closed double doors with a rough-looking woman leaning against them. The woman looked Roxi up and down with a sneer before uncrossing her arms. 

“I guess you’re here to see the mayor,” The lady eyed all three of us with disgust. 

“That’s right,” Roxi said in a tone I’ve never heard her use before. It was deliberately threatening. This had to be the merc side of her coming out, a side that she buried away when around me.

The woman furrowed her brow and glared at Roxi, almost to the point of snarling. “He’s busy.” 

Roxi stood on her tiptoes and called over the woman’s shoulder, “I have a pretty lady who’s interested in coming to live in Goodneighbor.” 

Behind the door came the sound of hurried footsteps. The doors pulled back, and in the center stood a ghoul dressed in colonial period clothing. I had to take a steadying breath, wondering where today went so expeditiously wrong. The ghoul smiled- or at least, the best that a ghoul  _ could  _ smile. 

“Foxy Roxi!” He said. Both the woman standing guard and I let out disapproving growls. “It’s good to see ya again, sunshine!” 

“Hey, Hancock,” Roxi said cooly. “I brought you a new neighbor. I’d like you to meet Brandy,” she stepped aside and ushered her friend forward. “We were roommates in college.” 

Hancock’s black eyes widened, taking in every inch of Brandy. “You brought me an angel, Rox.” He took off his tricorn hat and bowed, “Mayor Hancock of Goodneighbor, at your service.” 

Brandy let out a giggle, “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” 

Hancock straightened, taking Brandy’s hand and kissing it, “The pleasure is  _ all _ mine, sweetheart.” 

I rolled my eyes. Ghouls. Infatuated with each other.  _ Someone wake me up from this nightmare _ . 

“May I...show you around town, miss Brandy?” Hancock said quietly, to which the lady bashfully agreed. 

The two ghouls strolled away, not breaking eye contact with each other. They were closely followed by the mayor’s bodyguard, who gave one last sparring glance towards Roxi. I looked over to Roxi, in disbelief of the scene I had just witnessed- she laughed at me.

“Come on,” Roxi said, still laughing, “We have business at the Memory Den.” 

We left the State House and began walking further into town. After being inside that building, the streets didn’t seem to reek like the first whiff upon entering the town gates. It still wasn’t enough to forgive the disgusting condition of this town.

“Remember when I told you about taking out the Institute's prized attack dog?” Roxi asked with a noticeable amount of pride. 

“Of course,” I nodded. 

“So we found a piece of his brain that was altered by Institute tech-”

“-a  _ piece  _ of his  _ brain _ ?” I asked, disgusted at the thought. 

She laughed nervously, “Yeah, well...I  _ might _ have blown him sky-high. I never told you  _ all  _ of the details.  _ Anyway _ . This doctor Nick knows took up the task of trying to crack the code on the tech. That way we can access his memories and find out the way into the Institute.” 

“And how do this doctor plan on achieving this feat?” 

“No idea,” She shrugged. “But in a place called the Memory Den, I’m gonna guess she knows what she’s talking about.”

Roxi threw open the door to the Memory Den with enough gusto I was surprised she didn’t rip it off the hinges. She bounced inside, filled with enthusiasm that perhaps she would have some answers. Her answers would fuel the Brotherhood. And the Brotherhood would deliver her to the Institute. I couldn’t help but smile as I watched her strut into the building, admiring her confidence.

Valentine was waiting for us in the back of the Memory Den by a descending staircase. He led us downstairs into the basement that had been converted into some type of lab. A woman was near the back of the room clicking away at her computer- I presumed this was the doctor that Roxi had mentioned prior. 

“Alright, the gang’s all here,” Valentine announced. 

The woman turned around and looked over the group. “Good. Before we get started, I want to explain the procedure.” She stood and ushered us closer with a wave of her hand. “I’ve been studying the neural interface on the hippocampus that Mr. Valentine provided. There is a failsafe on this neural interface that Mr. Valentine and I have already tried to crack on our own, but it is too strong. It’s taken some time, but I am confident that we can crack the code if we have both you and Mr. Valentine running through the memories. What we will do is hook Mr. Valentine to the memory lounger and feed the neural interface through his system.” 

“Sort of like a hard drive?” Roxi asked.

“In a sense, yes. With luck, Mr. Valentine’s system will read the memories, and we will be able to project them onto the screen. However, this procedure does come with risks to Mr. Valentine. As we are hard wiring this device into his brain, there is a chance for potential side effects. Some might be irreversible.” 

“Don’t worry about me, Amari,” Valentine said. “Let’s do this.” 

“Wait,” Roxi said, “No. I...I don’t like the sound of this, Nick.” 

“I told you that I wanted to help you find your nephew. And this could be the only way to find out the Institute's biggest secret.” 

“I don’t want you risking your life,” Roxi said softly. 

“We got a missing kid on the line. That’s worth the risk.” 

“Risking  _ his _ life?” I chimed in, “I’m more worried about what might happen to  _ you  _ in that machine.” 

Dr. Amari nodded, “Rest assured young man, Roxi will be safe. The memory lounger would act just as if we were going through her own memories. Similar to the machines upstairs.”

Roxi stared at Nick, “Are you sure?” 

“One-hundred-and-ten-percent sure, kiddo.” 

She took a deep breath, closing her eyes. “Alright. Let’s do it, doc.” 

Dr. Amari straightened herself, “Whenever you two are ready, please have a seat.” 

Nick and Roxi moved to their designated machines. I took Roxi’s belongings and gave her a nod. It wasn’t so much as an approving nod as it was an  _ I hope you know what you’re doing _ nod. She climbed into the lounger, looking around as the glass descended, locking her inside. She looked uncomfortable, teetering on the edge of fearful. She had a strong history of claustrophobia, and I knew this would only end in her having a panic attack. 

Dr. Amari waved me over to stand by her, pointing at the computer screen. “We can watch everything here.” She clicked a few things on the computer, “Alright everyone, here we go. Initiating brain-wave migration between the transplant and the host.” She typed in a line of code and checked a different computer screen, “Mnemonic activity coming from the transplant! It’s degenerated but it’s there!” There was excitement in her voice. Another line of code typed, “We’re going to load you into the strongest memories we can find. They might not be... _ stable _ . Just hold on!” 

The computer screen turned white, and the simulation began. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was written and edited to the following: 
> 
> Eyes on Fire- Blue Foundation (Zeds Dead Remix)  
> What You Waiting For?- Gwen Stefani   
> Say You'll Haunt Me- Stone Sour  
> Rain on Me- Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande
> 
> (Not my best work. But at least we're getting somewhere in the game plot again. LOL)


	26. Chapter 26

#  **Roxi**

_ Get me out!  _

_ Get me out!  _

_ Get me out!  _

_ GET!  _

_ ME!  _

_ OUT! _

The glass door lifted at long last as Danse and Dr. Amari looked over me with concerned expressions. I threw myself out of the chamber and onto the cold red and white tiled floor, gasping for air while my entire body trembled. I rolled onto my back and stared upwards at the ceiling, my mind spinning with what I had just endured. Dr. Amari was talking to me, but her words were nothing but nonsense echoes. Danse dropped to his knees with concern in his eyes but dared not touch me. I covered my eyes from the ceiling lights, unable to concentrate. 

The vault. The fucking vault again. Watching Kellogg  _ murder _ my brother  _ again _ . Hearing that  _ goddamn  _ gunshot ring out and echo through the hallway  _ again _ . Hearing Nora’s shrieking and pounding on her pod door  _ again _ . Watching that bitch take Shaun into her arms, cooing at him to calm him down  _ again _ . I almost blew the entire simulation right then and there. Everything had gone so well up to that point, but as soon as I saw the hallway of the vault…panic set in, like a trapped animal.

Then, seeing Shaun in Kellogg’s apartment in Diamond City. He had to be at least twelve years old. He looked exactly like his father at that age. I recalled a family photo from a time that I was too young to remember- Nate was holding me, smiling at his youngest sibling. To see such a striking resemblance of my brother…

That stranger from the Institute that gave Kellogg his next mission- The Bioscience Scientist. What was his name? Virgil. That’s what it was.  _ Virgil _ who went AWOL from the Institute. He made a run for it- to the Glowing Sea. 

_ Teleportation _ . The bastards could  _ teleport _ . Of course. How else does one keep a hidden facility hidden? The answer was so simple it was stupid- no doors. It was a simple answer but yet even though all of my schooling and training, I would have laughed at the suggestion of teleportation. 

The vault. 

Shaun. 

Virgil. 

Glowing Sea. 

Teleporting. 

_ Right _ . I think I got it all. I just had to lose my sanity through the process. But that’s okay, I guess. No one could stay sane in this world. This irradiated heap of trash world that made less and less sense every single day... 

“ _ Roxi _ ,” Danse uttered my name so softly I didn’t think it was real. “Roxi, are you alright?” 

I opened my eyes slowly, allowing myself to adjust to the bright lights overhead. “It’s just a lot to take in,” I lied, my voice was weak and dry. I slowly sat myself up, accepting a can of purified water that Dr. Amari handed me and chugged it down. “Where’s Nick?” 

“I unplugged him first,” The doctor said. “He’s waiting upstairs. Do you...want to talk about what happened?” 

I grunted and ripped my fingers through my hair. “Kellogg had daddy issues. The Institute creeps can teleport. There’s a man that lives in the Glowing Sea who knows the secrets of the Institute. So that means  _ I _ get the pleasure of going head hunting through ground zero,” I rolled my eyes. 

I could feel a heaviness spread through my body at the thought of going after the rogue scientist. But I also felt something I hadn’t felt for a long time- the urge to push forward. The fire ignited within me again to finish what I had started. I had wasted so much time without any progress. I put the most important task on the back burner. 

“No more distractions,” I stared at the floor for a long moment before turning my attention to Danse. “I’m finishing this.” 

After I regained my strength, Danse and I left the basement laboratory to find Nick upstairs. The detective was sitting against the far wall of the Memory Den, staring at the ground as he waited for us. I approached him with a heavy sigh. Nick looked up to me with his yellow eyes, but they weren’t at all his typical kind and gentle eyes. I locked onto his eyes, hesitating to move forward. 

“I hope you got what you were looking for inside my head, popsicle.” Said Nick, but it wasn’t Nick. It was Kellogg’s voice.

I had my pistol in hand and pointing between Nick’s eyes the next moment. “ _ Kellogg _ ?” 

Nick blinked, “ _ Roxi!  _ Get that gun out of my face, kid!  _ Geez. _ ” 

I could have collapsed onto the floor with relief. I dropped my gun and holstered it on my thigh. “Jesus  _ fucking _ Christ, Nick. Was that some kind of joke?” 

“Joke? What joke?”

“You sounded like Kellogg, Nick! Do you not remember it?” 

“No...I…Dr. Amari told me that I might have some mnemonic impressions left over, but I feel fine.” 

Danse shifted beside me, his gun in his hands, “I’m keeping my eye on you,  _ Valentine _ .” 

“I’m flattered,  _ Danse _ . Are we done here, Roxi?” 

I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose, “Alright. Well, boys. I need a drink.” 

The three of us made our way to The Third Rail. Ham cracked half a smile when he saw me and ushered us downstairs without hesitation. Brandy was sitting at the bar with Hancock, her newfound conquest. Over two hundred years had passed and Brandy was still her same old man-eating self. Magnolia was already deep into her set of songs for the evening. White Chapel Charlie served up drinks with the same foul attitude. Nothing much had changed. 

I bought three shots of vodka for myself and threw them back with barely a wince before leading Danse and Valentine to the corner couches next to the bar. I sat with my back towards the rest of the crowd, hoping to avoid any attention. Danse took the seat next to me on the sofa, while Nick took the chair adjacent from us, watching out over the crowd.

Hancock made a point to pay for a round of drinks to the entire bar, of course making one of his little speeches about how great of a place Goodneighrbor was to live. Danse put his head in his hand, probably wondering how low he had stooped as a Brotherhood of Steel Paladin to end up in a dive bar in the middle of this town surrounded with a synth detective and ghouls. After Hancock’s blabbering, Danse shook his head and rolled his eyes. I couldn’t help but snicker, knowing how uncomfortable he must feel. 

Brandy and Hancock joined our little circle, only increasing Danse’s dismay. Hancock looked Danse over before looking at me to wiggle his non-existent eyebrows at me. I rolled my eyes, feeling my cheeks begin to burn from the awkwardness.

I pulled out the photo album Brandy had given me earlier. I started to flip through the pages, immediately overwhelmed with nostalgia- I had to hold my breath to build up my courage and fight back the onslaught of tears that wanted to spill.

The first few photos were of my family, including the picture of Nate holding me as a toddler.  Flipping the page started the collected array of photos from my senior year of high school. Everything from the Academic Team trip to Washington D.C. for a competition, Prom, and graduation. Danse looked at the Washington D.C. photos with such eagerness it made me laugh. He pointed out the monuments and buildings that he recognized. Once Danse got his fill of the photos, I flipped to the next section.

Most of the pictures were of Brandy and I goofing around during our college years, including our spring break trips to Myrtle Beach in South Carolina. There were a few pictures that we had snapped of each other that told the true story of university life. My favorite was one that Brandy had taken of me sitting in the library with a tower of books on each side, and I was in the middle chugging a cup of coffee while flipping off the camera. 

There are a few photos that I had taken with my Robotics classmates. Two photos were taken that day with a decommissioned SentryBot, and I had a copy of both. The first photo had the class posed around the SentryBot to look like the young professionals we liked to pretend that we were. This photo had landed a spot in the local newspaper. The second photo showed a scene of complete chaos with students scattered about acting scared as if the robot had malfunctioned. I was in the front of the photo, sitting on the floor barricaded behind a flipped over table, clutching my knees to my chest with a frightened look on my face.

I was laughing to the point of tears looking at this photo, “ _ Danse! _ This is the same robot I told you about- the one that went haywire in class and I ran away from it.” 

He snickered as he looked over the two photos, “Look at you hiding. That table wouldn’t stand a chance if that ‘bot started an assault.” 

“Not a chance in the world,” I said, wiping away my tears. “I forgot how I looked with black hair,” I closed the book and put it away. 

Looking up from the photobook made my heartache. For the amount of time that I was absorbed in old photos, I was back in time. I was back to when things were normal. But reality returned. It always returned. 

I took a swing of my beer, just as some idiot tripped over the back of the couch and dumped their drink on Brandy and myself. I jumped up from my seat, seething, and turned to find the one at fault. A ghoul stared at us with his mouth agape. He seemed awfully familiar. 

Brandy also stood from the couch, taking in the stunned face of the ghoul and dramatically gasped. “ _ Andrew! _ ” 

“B-b-brandy? R-Roxi?” 

The voice sealed it- I knew exactly who this bastard was. He barely had time to finish my name before I threw myself over the couch, lunging at him. Andrew let out a sharp shriek of panic as he dodged me. 

“You mother _ fucker! _ ” I yelled, reaching out to grasp his shirt collar and missed by a few centimeters.

“Who’s that?” I overheard Danse ask. 

“Her ex,” Brandy answered. 

I chased Andrew around the bar as he narrowly avoided me. He screamed each time I almost grabbed him. Someone grabbed me from behind, yanking me backward. Andrew’s eyes lit up with relief; he took a steadying breath and straightened himself. 

“Come on, Roxi,” Danse growled, “Settle down before you kill someone.” 

I spat in Andrew’s direction, “How the fuck did  _ you  _ live through the war?” 

Andrew held out his hands in front of him, walking slowly to close the gap between us. “I could ask you the same question, smooth skin. But...listen...Roxi, I’m sorry for what happened way back when. For what it’s worth.”

I struggled against Danse’s grip, “I wish you had been melted by those bombs.” 

“I’m sure you do,” Andrew nodded. “But it was over two hundred years ago. Let it go.” 

Danse let out a little, “ _ hmph _ ,” before letting me go. 

I straightened into my fighting stance with my fists clenched at my hips. “It doesn’t feel like two-hundred years for me.” 

“Well,” Andrew shrugged and rolled his eyes, “I don’t know what else you’d want.”

I mustered as much force as I could and punched Andrew in the face, knocking him backward. “That. I want that. For  _ what it’s worth _ .” 

After the dramatics, Danse, Nick, and I left Goodneighbor. Brandy and I said our tearful goodbyes outside of The Third Rail. I walked away from the town unsure if I had given her false promises of returning. Lord only knew what was in store for me now that I knew the Institute’s best-kept secret. It was a quiet trip back to Diamond City. 

As we reached the market, Nick and I turned to one another to say our goodbyes.

“Back to the Brotherhood tomorrow then, eh?” Nick said, his hands shoved into his trench coat pockets. 

“Back to the Brotherhood,” I echoed. “And into the unknown.” 

Nick smirked, “Be careful, kiddo. You have quite the task ahead of you.” 

I nodded and sucked in a deep breath, “Yeah. Looks like I got my hands full. I’ll see ya around, Nick.” 

Sleep avoided me. I tried everything to block out the images from Kellogg’s memories, or even the horrible echoing of anxiety in my head. I laid in bed staring at the ceiling; anytime I closed my eyes an overwhelming rush of scenarios ran through my head. After several hours of torment, I needed to get some fresh air. Danse was blocking the edge of the bed, insisting that he slept closer to the door in case of an intruder. I had to carefully move around him to avoid waking him.

I left the front door open so Danse could see where I had gone if he were to wake. I leaned on the railing, overlooking the shadows of Diamond City. The night breeze was cool against my overheated skin, gently blowing back my hair and the tails of Danse’s flannel that I had pulled on. The silence of the city numbed my mind to the point of thoughtlessness. 

I closed my eyes and tucked my chin to my chest, listening to the distance sounds of the night. I inhaled deeply, catching the scent of the flannel that smelled of its true owner. Power armor grease, faint undertones of old cologne, and my personal blend of mutfruit soap from the base that I let him borrow. 

There was a slight creak of a floorboard from inside my apartment; Danse figured out I had left. He joined me outside, gently placing a hand at the small of my back. I straightened, wrapping my arms around his waist and resting my head against him. He moved his arm around my shoulders, encasing me with his protection and filling me with a sense of peace. For several minutes, we wordlessly gazed upon the sleeping city together.

“It's a shame there people hide in this old stadium when all of those perfectly good buildings still stand outside,” Danse said with a touch of melancholic pity.

“They have no idea the impact they could make on the world. They've all become content with this sheltered life.” 

“Hmm. Vigilance is hard to restore once replaced with laziness.” 

“I couldn’t agree more,” I said, fighting off a yawn.

We returned to our silence for a few moments. I tried to commit this moment to memory, knowing that it might be weeks before feeling Danse’s embrace again. 

Tomorrow, the hunt for the Institue began anew. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I'm going to be taking a 1-2 week break from posting updates. There's a lot of action coming up and I want to make sure the content is of good quality. I feel like this is a good place to take a slight lull in posting, like an intermission before Act Two! 
> 
> And of course: Thank you all again for checking out my fic!
> 
> This chapter was written and edited to the following: 
> 
> Popular Monster- Falling in Reverse  
> PYRO- Shinedown  
> Nowhere Kids- Shinedown  
> Given Up- Linkin Park


	27. Chapter 27 (NSFW)

**Danse**

  
  


Thunder rumbled in the distance, powerful enough to shake the ground. Roxi turned her head to look at me, her expression hidden behind the mask of her power armor. 

“We need to find cover soon,” I announced.

“I think there’s something up ahead,” Roxi pointed in the general direction. “Maybe we’ll luck out and it’ll have a basement.” 

Roxi took point, leading the way to the structure she had spotted. As we approached, my optimism slowly started to fade. The structure was a shack that barely looked to be holding its own, but we still approached it for further inspection. At this point, at least it would be a roof over our heads while the worst of this radiation storm blew over. 

Roxi hopped up onto the porch, quickly pointing out the desk with a HAM radio that sat casually outside. She pushed the door open, finding a skeleton donned with a ratty white lab coat, and stooped down to check his pockets. “There’s a hatch in the floor, Danse. We might have lucked out if this guy has...ah-ha! A key.” She went over to the hatch and inserted the key. With a slight turn of the key, the hatch popped open. “Yes! We’re in.” 

We climbed our way through the hatch to the lit basement below. It was obvious from the moment we touched the ground that this was not an ordinary basement. We had stumbled upon an old military bunker, not just a stockpile, but a true doomsday contact point. There was a skeleton sitting at the desk, to which Roxi discovered his final holotape. She stepped out of her power armor to play the tape from her Pip-Boy. The people stationed here were not prepared for an attack; they did not have the proper stockpiles of food and necessities to last them longer than a few days. 

I took point, noticing Roxi was feeling the same wave of survivor’s guilt that she always seemed to become overwhelmed with when coming across skeletons from her time. She climbed back into her power armor and followed. I hit a circuit breaker that brought life to the rest of the bunker. Level by level, the lights came on with a loud _thunk_ as the generators came to life. It was a three-story bunker, descending into the Earth and away from the radiation. 

“Holy shit,” Roxi whispered, walking closer to the railing that overlooked the long drop to the bottom floor. 

She made to say something else, but immediately went silent and shouldered  _ Righteous Authority _ . I followed her eyes down to the second level, where an Institue Synth walked out onto the balcony. Roxi took a deep breath, holding it for just a second, before firing off a shot that vaporized the Synth instantly. Two Synth’s walked over to investigate the noise. 

“Fire at will,” I ordered, leveling my laser rifle. 

Roxi sent off another shot, this one only clipping her intended target in the shoulder. I hit the second Synth, within three shots it was slain. Two more synths appeared from the mid-level, then two from the lower level started to shoot upward. Roxi finished off one. I finished off another. We called out of kills, yelled out our allegiance to the Brotherhood. There was one more at the bottom, shooting upward in our direction. We looked at each other for a brief second, before simultaneously jumping over the ledge of the third floor. Together, we crashed down, shaking the floor hard enough that the Synth lost balance and fell over. Roxi and I leveled our rifles and shot the Synth before it could regain its weapon. It was vaporized.

“Let’s do a full security sweep first, but I think this place will do nicely for the night,” I stated.

“Danse, if this place checks out, this would be such a huge help to the Brotherhood.” Roxi stepped out of her power armor, “We could do more recon out here.” 

“Very true. Perhaps, after the sweep, we can send the location back to Base. Do you have that program Proctor Quinlin gave you?”

She smirked, pulling a holotape from one of her breast pockets, “Yes, sir.” 

After a full security sweep, Roxi and I started to settle into the bunker. We turned on a radio on the bottom floor and cleaned the area of skeletons and synth parts. Roxi hacked into the two protection units and made sure they were completely deactivated. I cleaned both of our power armor suits of dust and grime from the Glowing Sea. 

We felt comfortable here; the restrooms were in working condition, the water ran warm and without rads, the air was clean, circulated, and temperature controlled. There were bedrooms here that looked pristine with fully functioning bathrooms. We picked out a bedroom with a large bed and stored our belongings away before returning to the work floor of the bunker.

Roxi hacked a working terminal and uploaded the holotape, sitting cross-legged in the chair with her long white hair hanging freely. Diamond City Radio was on, playing Dion’s  _ Lovers Who Wander _ . Roxi, of course, sang along and danced in her chair when she wasn’t distracted by the computer terminal. I tried not to focus too much on her, attempting to avoid burning our dinner, but my eyes would slowly find their way back to her. I was trying my hand at one of Roxi’s Wasteland Recipies, Yao Gui Roast Stew with carrots and razorgrain bread. 

“Coordinates sent,” Roxi said, stretching her arms upwards, “Awaiting response from Proctor Quinlin. Which...wait, what time is it, anyway?” 

“2100 hours,” I replied, looking down at Roxi’s Pip-Boy that I was using for our dinner’s directions. 

She snorted, “We’ll have a response in the morning. It’s past his bedtime.” 

I huffed a laugh, knowing very well that I should have hidden it from her.

“Jesus, Travis, another love song?” Roxi said towards the radio as Ben E. King’s  _ Stand By Me _ started playing. “He’s probably in a fight with his girlfriend. Again.” 

“Roxi, could you double-check this stew?” 

“You’re doing fantastic,” I could hear the smile in her voice, as she did not even glance back towards me. 

“You didn’t even look.” 

“Well, I don’t smell anything burning.” She looked over her shoulder with this comment, grinning, before standing up and moving next to the pot. “As I said, you’re doing great.” 

We ate our dinner in exhausted silence. The music playing from the radio echoed throughout the bunker, almost adding an eerie feel to the room, but nevertheless keeping us awake. Roxi picked at the last bit of her food, staring off into the distance with dark circles under her eyes. 

Three weeks before our voyage to the Glowing Sea, we had returned to the Brotherhood Base from Diamond City to report our new lead on the Institue to Elder Maxson. He immediately approved our request to explore the Glowing Sea but noted that it could only be the two of us as he could not risk an entire platoon to the dangerous conditions. We agreed to the Elder’s terms and immediately started training. 

Our strength and endurance training intensified. We educated ourselves further on radiation effects and the proper steps of first aid to radiation-caused ailments. In the evenings, we worked on our Power Armor suits, adding heavier plated armor and equipping modifications to help us in the most desolate area of the wasteland.

Roxi was fueled with a newfound determination and would stop at nothing until she reached her goal. The Institute. Her progress hinged on this search for the rogue scientist. It was like I could feel the anxious energy she radiated. Within the last three weeks, she had become ruthless in her training. The same pitiless actions echoed in her attacks against the creatures of the Glowing Sea- cold, and unforgiving. I almost feared this side of Roxi- afraid that it would completely consume her and drag her into madness. This callous behavior was her way of releasing some pent-up aggression, and if this mission was to fail, I feared what Roxi might do.

Along with my concerns, I simultaneously longed to touch her. Even the slightest brush of her hair would send me into a frenzy. I ached to share another night as we did in Diamond City- an overwhelming and embarrassing sensation. But no- it was imperative that I held myself together. We were on a mission, and I was still her CO. This was not the time nor the place to overstep those bounds. On the other hand, to think that we would be sharing a bed tonight...I resolved that I would take when alone in the shower. 

After we put away our cooking supplies and cleaned our dishes, I made my way upstairs to the bedroom we had selected. Roxi stayed behind to check something on the computer, which allowed me the privacy and time I needed to handle my urges. 

I began to strip away my clothes along the way to the bathroom, feeling the ache begin to worsen with the apprehension of release. I turned on the water and removed the remaining articles of clothing from my body. The water was warm as I stepped into the shower, sliding the glass door closed behind me. I stepped further into the shower, enjoying the feeling of the rushing water and the steam filling up the room. I closed my eyes and thought of Roxi lying naked underneath me, eyes looking up with want and pleasure; my cock twitched. I grasped my shaft, stroking it cautiously at first, enjoying the slow and steady sensation. I ran my hand up and over the tip; a shiver ran up my spine and I let out a grunt of pleasure, pushing myself up against the tiled wall of the shower and picking up the pace. It wasn’t long until I reached my climax, and I let out a sigh of both pleasure and sweet relief. 

I finished my shower and toweled off. I walked into the bedroom to find Roxi sitting cross-legged on the bed reading from one of her textbooks. She glanced up to me, eyes traveling over my naked body. I felt a stab of guilt, realizing that she knew that I had just pleasured myself in the shower. 

“ _ Paladin _ ,” Roxi smirked sheepishly. 

“Knight,” I said, tossing my towel to the floor and laid back on the bed. 

She turned her head to look me over again, “You seem well relaxed.” 

“You could say that,” I stammered. 

She closed her book and laid down next to me, “That’s good because I won’t be of much help to you for the next few days.” 

“Ah, because of the mission.” 

“ _ No _ ,” she snorted a laugh. “My period started before we left the base.” 

“ _ Oh. _ ”

Roxi laughed, the first laugh to have graced her lips since we returned to the base. Hearing her laugh put a smile on my face. Maybe she wouldn’t be lost to the madness as I had feared. I repositioned myself to lie next to her against the pillows, looking into her eyes. She reached out, taking my hand and placed it on her chest. 

“Danse...I...I…” Roxi let out a heavy sigh, “I think we have a big day ahead of us tomorrow.” 

“I agree. We have a lot of ground to cover.” 

“I’m nervous,” She whispered. “What if we can’t find him? What if we’re too late?” 

I brushed her hair back, “We won’t know until we get out there, Roxi. No matter what, we’ll figure it out. One way or another, we’re getting you into the Institue.” 

She smiled softly, “I’m glad I heard your distress signal all those months ago. I don’t know how I’d get through this without you.” 

“I’m thankful every day that you found us.” 

She smiled and gently kissed my forehead, “Let’s get our rest, Paladin.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We back.


	28. Chapter 28

#  **Roxi**

I forced myself awake with a shuddering exhale. Almost every night after saying goodbye to Brandy I had dreams about finding my parents and brothers alive as pre-war ghouls. The scenes were so emotional that I would start sobbing in my sleep, and I had no tolerance for it. I couldn’t afford to give myself false hope since facing reality has not been a strong trait of mine. 

I sat myself up and swung my legs over the side of the bed, feeling the cool air of the room against my overheated skin. A menstrual cramp racked through my back, powerful enough to make me wince. I tried to slow my breathing to relieve myself of the building headache caused by holding back my sobs. 

On the nightstand beside the bed, my Pip-Boy showed that it was only one-thirty in the morning. At least I had a few more hours to rest before heading out back into the unforgiving Glowing Sea. I grabbed the can of purified water next to my Pip-Boy and chugged the contents; the room-temperature liquid extinguished the flames in my throat. 

Danse was breathing deep and rhythmically behind me, oblivious to my current condition. I closed my eyes and listened to his light snores for several minutes, allowing it to lull me back to a state of enervation. Gradually, through the shockwaves of back cramps, I lowered myself onto the bed and curled into a ball facing Danse. His holotags were hanging down from his neck, the text was illuminated enough in the holotags blue light that I could make out the engraving:

_DN-407P_

_01/01/2257_

_AB NEGATIVE_

_Brotherhood of Steel_

In truth, January 1st was just a default date for those who were unfortunate enough to not know their actual birthday. There were quite a few soldiers within the Brotherhood that shared the default birthdate, and none of them celebrated it as such. Even Danse’s birth year was an estimation based on his dental morphology when he first enlisted. 

I rolled myself onto my back and stared at the ceiling, ready to attempt to sleep again. I ran through my new found trick of falling asleep. Five things visible; I looked around the darkened room- Pip-boy, armchair, closet, lamp, and carpet. Four things that can be touched: bedsheets, pillow, nightstand, Danse’s arm. I closed my eyes. Three things that can be heard: Danse’s snoring, the hum of the generators, the blowing air through the vents. Two things that can be smelt in this moment; Danse’s body wash, the faint smell of undisturbed dust in the room. One thing emotion in this moment... _calmness_.

The alarm on my Pip-Boy sounded at 0600. Danse rolled himself upwards, ready to get the day started with a stretch and a yawn. I slapped the Pip-Boy until the correct button was pushed to silence the goddamn thing with an unpleasant groan.

We got up, dressed, and went downstairs to make ourselves breakfast. Within the hour, we went through a detailed supply check, decided on the route we would take, and suited up in our power armor. At 0700, we left the safety of the bunker, stepping back into the radioactive mayhem that was the Glowing Sea. 

I looked around the wasteland, steadying myself for our adventure. The sky was a clouded light green today, which gave an improvement to our visibility compared to yesterday’s black and green clouds as a radiation storm rolled through the area. Danse took point, leading the way towards the south. 

The Glowing Sea was what I had imagined the entire world would look like as I first ascended from the vault. It was home to the angriest creatures I’ve yet to face, paired with extremely dangerous terrain. Most of our journey south involved us sneaking around packs of Radscoprins and Stingwings, pushing us off course little by little. While watching out for the wasteland beasts, we had to be careful of where we stepped. There were sudden rocky drop-offs, caves, radiation swamps, twisted up metal beams poking up through the rubble, wrecked planes with scattered parts littering the surrounding crash site, and dilapidated buildings half-hidden in the ground. Some buildings were covered in debris to the point we did not know we were walking on a faulty roof until the bottom dropped out beneath our feet. 

I found myself examining the debris with quite an ominous overtone. This sinister place was both a reminder and a warning to future generations about the power of mass destruction. As poor as the Commonwealth might be, it was not _this_. I feared this place, but I could not let it claim me as a victim. Danse was also showing signs of fatigue and stress as we continued pushing south with little to find for our efforts. 

After five hours, we came upon a large crater left by the impact of a nuke. We scaled to the top, surprised to find a small grouping of makeshift buildings connected by rickety bridges at the base of the crater. I could spot the movements of a few people down below. 

“What’s this?” I asked, stunned. 

“It must be the Children of Atom,” Danse returned, unamused. 

“The _who_?” 

Danse sat down on the lip of the crater, and I closely followed. “ _Atom-_ as in an _atom_ bomb. They’re a religious cult that worships radiation.”

“Are they...ghouls? There’s no way a human can live in all this radiation.” 

He huffed, “Believe it or not, they’re human. After a few generations, they’re almost immune to the radiation. _Almost_. If you ask me they’re delusional as any religious cult.” 

“Are they...friendly?” 

“You’re not _really_ considering speaking to these people, are you?” I could hear the scorn in Danse’s voice. 

“What’s wrong with stopping and asking for directions?” I teased.

Danse let out a growl, “This isn’t the place or the time to be interacting with _locals_. We’re outnumbered. Who knows what they might do to outsiders.” 

“Then what do you suggest we do?” I stood up, “Should we keep walking around this hellhole for hours? Looking for someone somewhere only God knows? We’re already several hours into our search without any signs of this guy. We don’t know what we’re doing or where we’re going. _I’d_ take the risk, Paladin.” 

He dropped his head and flexed his fingers. “ _Fine_. But you’re doing the talking.” 

We marched down the hill of the crater and into the little irradiated community, our power armor’s Geiger counters clicking furiously. Along the main path, several people were kneeling in prayer, mumbling things about Atom’s path. A woman was watching us from one of the buildings; I started to move toward her. 

“Stop right there, stranger,” the woman said quietly, but sternly, as we approached. I stopped immediately. “You approach Atom’s holy ground. Why? State your purpose, or be divided in his sight.”

I raised my hands to show that I meant no harm, “I’m Knight Roxi Andrews of the Brotherhood of Steel. With me is Paladin Danse. We come as no threat to you or your people, and we apologize immensely for trespassing upon your Holy site. We just needed to ask a few questions.” 

“What _kind_ of questions, child?” 

“We’re looking for a man by the name of Virgil.” 

“Virgil? Yes, we know this Virgil. What do you want with him?” 

“He holds information that we desperately need. Without it, we are hopeless.” 

The corner of the woman’s mouth twitched into a small smile, “I see. In truth, this Virgil has caused some concern. Some believe his presence is an affront to Atom. Though he came to trade with us on a few occasions, we have had little other contact with him. It was quite clear he wanted to be left alone.” 

“I have reason to believe that he is keeping his secrecy for your people’s safety against outsiders that would bring you harm.” 

“How can I trust that you are not one who would bring harm to us?” 

“Because we are fighting against those who wish ill upon everyone.” 

The woman regarded me for a moment, and then nodded, “You can find him southwest of the crater, living in a cave. I would approach cautiously, if I were you, Knight Roxi Andrews of the Brotherhood of Steel. I feel he does not want visitors.” 

“Thank you, ma’am-”

“You may call me Mother Isolde. And if you speak the truth about fighting those who wish ill, you will be welcomed here if our paths cross again.” 

“Thank you, Mother Isolde.” 

Danse and I turned and left the Children of Atom, scaling the crater wall. Once we were out of view, we let out a collective sigh of relief. 

“I’m not sure how you pulled that off,” Danse said.

“They seem peaceful.” 

“They seem insane.” 

“Regardless,” I shrugged, “We’re looking for a cave southwest of here.”

We started on our walk, keeping along the high ground as much as possible. After we few miles, we came upon a mountain ridge. Upon closer inspection, we found a cave tucked away in an alcove. 

“Man, I hope she wasn’t lying,” I said under my breath. 

“We’re either going to find Virgil or a Deathclaw. But either way, we won’t know until we enter.” 

I nodded and stepped into the mouth of the cave. 

We plunged down the dark carved tunnel of the cave, turning on our helmet lights to see. The tunnel went deep into the Earth, deep enough that our Geiger counters quit clicking. After a slight bend in the tunnel, I could begin to see the soft glow of light coming from the end. As we approached, I could begin to hear the sound of turrets humming. 

I stepped out from behind cover, awaiting the turrets to begin shooting, but they did not. I slowly walked past them, confused as to if their sensors were faulty, and did not detect the two large power armor-clad figures. I entered the next cave hall, finding a workshop of tools and workbenches set up under working lights run by a single generator. 

“Hold it!” Boomed a hidden voice. “Take it nice and slow, no sudden moves.” 

Danse and I stopped in our tracks. I put my hands up in front of me to show that I meant no harm. 

“I know you’re from the Institute,” The hidden voice said, followed by a few heavy footsteps. The man turned the corner, coming out of hiding. But it wasn’t a man- it was a super mutant. He looked both of us up and down, “So where’s Kellogg? Huh?! Trying to sneak up on me to distract me? Well, it isn’t going to work! I’m _not_ stupid. I knew they’d send him after me.” 

“Kellogg’s dead,” I choked out in a moment of panic. 

“Kellogg? Dead?” The mutant laughed, “Don’t play games with _me_.” 

“Kellogg _is_ dead,” I said firmly. I stepped out of my power armor and walked in front of it. “I killed him myself.” 

“ _You_? You killed Kellogg?” The mutant started to chuckle, which then became a full-blown laugh. “I don’t believe you.” 

I straightened myself, “Kellogg kidnapped my nephew from Vault 111 for the Institue. I tracked him down. And I killed him.” 

The mutant straightened, suppressing his laugh. “So...he really is dead?” 

I nodded. 

“He was ruthless. There was a reason why the Institute used him to do their dirty work for so many years. Now. What do you want with me?” 

“You’re Virgil then, yes?”

“That’s me. Although, it’s hard to believe.” 

“I need to know how to get into the Institute. I know that you escaped. So that means you know their best-kept secret.” 

Virgil’s jaw dropped, “Are you _insane_?” 

I shrugged, “Presumably.”

“You know what, I don’t even want to know. You wanna get yourself killed, that’s your problem. I can help you get in there, but I want something in return.” 

“What do you want from me?” 

“Before I had to escape, I was working on a serum that would serve as a cure for my... _condition_. I wasn’t able to bring it with me. It’s still in my lab...and well, look at me, I _need_ it. I need you to find it for me if you manage to get inside the Institute. What do you say?” 

I stood there for a moment, contemplating the deal. “Alright. You help me, and if I don’t die, I’ll help you.”

“Alright,” Virgil nodded. “Let’s talk details. Let’s start with this: Do you know _how_ synth’s get in and out of the Institute?” 

“Teleportation.” 

“Ah, you’ve done your homework. It’s commonly referred to as ‘Molecular Relay.’ It is the _only_ way in and out of the Institute. The _only_ way, which means you’re going to have to use it. Have you ever seen an Institute Courser?” 

“Can’t say I have.” 

“They’re specialized Institute Synths designed for one purpose. They’re _hunters_. An operation goes wrong? A Synth goes missing? A Courser is dispatched to handle the problem. They’re very good at what they do, and you’re going to have to kill one.” 

“Fantastic,” I rolled my eyes. “Let me guess, they’re fitted with something that connects them to the Institute’s teleportation device.” 

Virgil chuckled, “I have a feeling you know a thing or two about robotics. Yes, every Courser has special hardware that gives them a direct connection to the Relay in the Institue. It’s a chip embedded into their heads. I can give you some pointers on how to find a Courser, but you’ll have to do the dirty work and hunt one down. You’ll need to go to the old CIT ruins and find the lower band of the radio frequencies on that Pip-Boy of yours- you’ll be able to hear the interference. Follow the signal, and it’ll lead you to a Courser. Then you just have to avoid getting killed _and_ killing the Courser without any head trauma. Otherwise, you risk damaging the chip.” 

“Once I get the chip, I’m assuming I’ll have to get some kind of machine together?” 

“Yes. Get the chip. Get it decoded. Then,” He moved to one of his workbenches to scribble something down on a piece of paper, “You’ll need these schematics. It’s not perfect, it’s from memory, of course. I didn’t work on this project, being in BioScience and all. And my motor skills have gone to shit, so I can’t draw you a masterpiece. But the math should be right. Basically, this will hijack the Institute's signal using the code from the Courser chip and send you there instead. It uses the harmonic frequencies from the classical music station that plays nonstop. The question is,” he handed over the piece of paper he was writing on, “can you build this?” 

I took a look at his paper. He had everything from power amperage to centimeters of length. The math and science behind the machine were scribbled inside the margins around the drawing of the contraption.

“I’ve got this covered,” I smiled with confidence. 

“This is a lot, even for you.” 

“I’ve got friends in the right places. I think the worst part is going to be getting that Courser.” 

Virgil nodded, “Don’t forget our deal. I hope to see you back here.” 

“As do I. Thank you, Virgil. I hope I can make good of this.” 

I turned to leave the cave, finding Danse leaning against the far wall. He had taken his helmet off and stared at me with a raised eyebrow. I tucked the schematics away in my breast pocket before jumping back into my power armor. Danse put his helmet back on without a word and turned for the exit. 

We exited the cave back into the Glowing Sea. It was two o’clock, and if we were lucky, we could make it back to the bunker by eight.

“I hope you know what you’re doing,” Danse growled as we started our way back towards the north.

“There’s no other way,” I sighed. 

Danse grunted, “All that talk about risking your life against a Courser…” 

“It has to be done,” I said shortly. “I don’t have another option.” 

“Maybe. Or maybe we can figure out an ambush.” 

“Ambush? You mean to turn this into a full-scale Brotherhood operation?” 

Danse nodded, “I’ll discuss things with Maxson. I just can’t shake the feeling that this might be a setup.” 

“You don’t trust Virgil?” 

He turned his head for a moment to look at me before pressing onward. “Come on, Roxi. I know you of all people must be feeling the same way.” 

I was quiet for a moment, putting together the pieces. “It’s like Hansel and Gretel, isn’t it? A trail of bread crumbs.” 

“Affirmative. The Institute hasn’t sent a Courser out for Virgil yet because they know you killed Kellogg.” 

I gasped, “And because I killed Kellogg they would have known that we could gain access to his memories, leading us to Virgil. So either they’re spying on me to use me to track down Virgil and dispatch a courser to his location, _or_ they’re playing a game to see how close I get to them.” 

Danse stopped and turned to me, “Do you have reason to believe they’re keeping _this_ close of tabs on you?” 

“Kellogg said that I was getting myself into a larger web that I could even imagine. And he even said that the Institute wasn’t able to identify me until that time we went to ArcJet. The Institute is expecting me.” 

“But for what reason?” 

“I don’t know, exactly. But they’re using Shaun as bait.” 

We traveled onwards through the Glowing Sea to the haven of the bunker. My mind was racing with the possibilities of the game the Institute was playing. Danse seemed to watch over his shoulder more along our path, probably as paranoid as I was about the lurking boogeyman of the Commonwealth.

Another radiation storm started to whip up as we reached the last quarter mile. We rushed our fatigued bodies into the bunker, happy to find it undisturbed. We discarded our power armor and dug into our prepackaged preserved food reserve for a quick dinner and chugged back a few cans of purified water. 

I found myself feeling accomplished through my exhaustion. Finding Virgil was the biggest breakthrough in hunt for the Institute. I was another large leap forward to find Shaun. 

I had a fight brewing on the horizon, but tonight, I celebrated this victory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I FORGOT TO POST THIS CHAPTER FRIDAY I'M SORRY! lol
> 
> This chapter was written and edited to the following:  
> Devour- Shinedown  
> The Foundation- Hypercrush  
> Nevada- Vicetone feat Cozi Zuehlsdorff  
> Bat Country- Avenged Sevenfold


	29. Chapter 29

#  **Danse**

I leaned on the railing of the Prydwen’s upper balcony, watching Roxi and a few other Knights and Scribes prepare their gear for tomorrow’s operation. The group sat in a large circle, joking around and sharing stories as they cleaned their guns and packed away supplies, unaware of my presence. It wasn’t so long ago that I used to do the same with my fellow comrades. But now, as a CO, I was an unspoken unwelcome guest. 

Roxi sat on the floor beside her bed next to Scribe Haylen with two bottles of NukaCola and an open box of Gumdrops shared between them. It reminded me of what Cutler and I used to do during these same sit-ins; but instead of Gumdrops, it was Fancy Lad Cakes that we shared. Haylen was going through Roxi’s photo album, her gear already prepped and stored away beside her. Roxi had just finished cleaning  _ Righteous Authority _ and started on her sniper rifle, commenting on the photo’s Haylen showed interest in. 

As I looked upon them, I couldn’t help but recall a discussion between Roxi and myself before leaving the Glowing Sea. She was tossing and turning in her sleep after returning to the hidden bunker. I was having trouble sleeping as well and decided to wake her in hopes of easing what plagued her mind.

“Hmm?” She rolled over to face me, still half asleep. 

“You’re having bad dreams again,” I whispered, stroking back her hair with my fingertips. 

“I wouldn’t consider them dreams,” she returned with a yawn. “I can’t stop thinking about that serum Virgil wants.” 

I let out an involuntary huff, “Why is that?” 

“Well, what if it works? What if the man figured out a cure to the FEV?” 

It was wrong of me to feel a stab of anger when she asked the question. I know that now, but at that moment all I could think of was Cutler. When I didn’t answer her, she continued. 

“I just think...maybe the Brotherhood should take advantage of having a rogue Institute scientist who could potentially eradicate the FEV. It would bring an end to Super Mutants, which, in a way, aligns with the Brotherhood’s ideology.” 

“Elder Maxson would be hard-pressed to allow such a thing to happen, including you taking an experimental serum to the Glowing Sea for a  _ Mutant _ .” 

Roxi sat up in bed, I could feel her gaze in the darkness. “Maxson doesn’t need to know-” 

“- _ Yes _ he does, Roxi! Going behind the Brotherhood’s back would be treason.” 

She let out a heavy sigh, “And here I was to believe that the enemy of my enemy was my friend.”

“ _ Why _ are you letting this bother you?”

“Because everyone in the Brotherhood was sure fine and dandy about using this scientist for information about the Institute, but when it comes to upholding a favor in return you’re going to throw it out the window.” Her words were sharp and filled with anger. “I just see an opportunity that Maxson will throw away.” 

“We are  _ not _ going to help that Mutant, Roxi. He gave up that information willingly. He shouldn’t even continue to exist.” 

“He could help-! You know what? Forget it.” Roxi threw the blankets off of her legs and stood from the bed, heading for the door. 

“Where are you going?” I demanded, still feeling the heat from our discussion. 

She opened the door and spoke with venom, “Somewhere I can sort out my priorities,  _ Paladin _ .” She stepped into the hallway and slammed the door hard enough that a hanging picture frame fell from the wall and onto the floor. 

I ran my hands through my hair in frustration before getting to my feet to follow her. I opened the door and looked around the hallway; she had already disappeared and was most certainly well hidden away. Knowing her, she would refrain from making any sound that would indicate her whereabouts.

I flopped back onto the bed and let out a frustrated sigh. She had too much hope for the world. She saw too much grey area. It was something that I found endearing on most days, but she was speaking words bleeding with treason. She was playing a dangerous game, and at that moment I could only hope that she would see her errors. 

Now, as I watched her prepare to hunt down a Courser, I knew she only wanted what was fair and honest. She saw an opportunity for the Brotherhood to capitalize and achieve great strides in the science field that Elder Maxson might overlook. Before leaving the bunker, after a morning of the preverbal  _ cold shoulder _ treatment, I promised Roxi that I would withhold the information of Virgil’s state for the time being. It was enough of a promise that she began to speak to me again. I think we both knew that her ideas were too radical, and would only be given slight consideration unless she herself seized the position of Elder. 

When we returned to the Prydwen, I met Elder Maxson in private to discuss the developments from our mission. I provided the Elder with a rewritten copy of the blueprints that were easier to read. Roxi had spent a great deal of time rewriting the information down, double-checking the math and science behind the contraption. It was rather charming to watch her mull over the blueprints, completely entranced and mumbling to herself, and using a metal ruler she found to help draw the machine. She kept the original blueprints tucked away in a breast pocket, afraid that it would tip off the Elder of Virgil’s mutant condition. 

“And she knows how to build this?” Elder Maxson raised an eyebrow as he looked down at the diagram. 

“Knight Andrews is convinced that with the help of Proctor Ingram, there shouldn’t be a problem building this machine.” 

“And she understands how this machine works?” 

“Better than I do, sir.” 

“Hmph.” Arthur slid the blueprints across the table to me. He took his glass of whiskey and swirled it around, “And you need an Institute  _ Courser _ ?” 

“Yes, sir. However, I feel that this isn’t something Knight Andrews and myself can handle alone. These Courser’s are supposed to be elite in their line of work. I also admit a growing concern for Knight Andrews’ safety- we both feel as if the Institute might be trying to ambush her.” 

“Ambush her?” 

“Yes, sir. To put it in layman’s terms- things are going a little too smoothly for comfort. Roxi isn’t exactly abashed admitting that her activities prior to joining the Brotherhood has most likely put a bounty on her head. She has only continued to cause problems for the Institute, and she is certain that she is being watched.” 

Arthur sighed before taking a deep drink of his whiskey, “If it were any other fraction I would call it paranoia. But this  _ is _ the Institute we’re discussing. And yes, she has made quite a name for herself. I’m sure she wants to be apart of this mission.” 

“Affirmative. For her, this is personal.” 

“Have the guards fetch her. I want to see how much of a fight she puts up if we take her off of the mission for her own safety.” 

I alerted the guards to the Elder’s request and retook my seat at the table. After a few sips of whiskey, there were footsteps approaching the door to the Elder’s quarters. The door opened, and there stood an already recalcitrant looking Roxi. 

“Good evening, Knight,” Maxson said with a cool and collected tone. 

“Good evening, Elder, Paladin,” She nodded to each of us, a slight murmur of unease to her voice. She was already anticipating the delivery of bad news. 

“Paladin Danse and I have been discussing this... _ hunt _ for an Institute Courser. We feel that it is best that you...stay behind. Here, on the Prydwen.” 

She stared at the Elder, mouth trying to find words, eyes flicking between the two of us. I barely could meet her eye. “Sir...stay behind?” 

“Yes, that is correct. We feel that this is the best way to keep you protected.” 

She drew her lips into a hard line, face becoming redder with every passing second. “With all due respect, sir,” she growled through gritted teeth, “I don’t want to be protected. I would much rather be in the field.” 

“Knight, if the Institute is hunting you, this is the perfect trap.” 

“What happens if you send more than a quarter of your soldiers off base for this mission and the Institute attacks the Prydwen? Where I am then located and then- as you said- in the perfect trap.” She clenched her fists, holding back anger. 

The Elder looked rather pleased with himself, “Then, Knight Andrews, what would you have us do? What it that  _ tactical _ brain of yours, would you do in this situation?” He was mocking her, and by the disdain in her eyes, she picked up on it immediately. 

“Put me in the field. Scramble us. Put me somewhere they wouldn’t expect.” 

“And what would  _ that  _ be?”

“Post me as a sniper. All snipers are accompanied by at least two other soldiers, and away from the prime location of the target. The Institute would expect me to be on the inside since I’m the one who knows what exactly we need from the synth and has experience with robotics.”

Arthur drained his cup and looked at me with a smirk. “Fine, Knight. We’ll post you as a sniper. You’re dismissed.” Roxi turned and left without a word. “You were right, Danse. She does wish to fight.” 

I wanted to tell him that his actions were unnecessary and borderline cruel. “Of course, sir,” is what I settled on instead. 

Roxi stood from her position on the floor and stretched her arms upwards, attention on Haylen who was pointing at something in the photo album. I pulled from my thoughts, realizing that the longer I stayed here the more likely it was to be caught. I walked away from the group, moving along the catwalk to the stern of the ship and followed the staircases to the bottom floor to avoid being seen on my way back to my quarters. 

I changed out of my clothes before lying down for bed, replaying Roxi’s words in my head.  _ I just see an opportunity that Maxson will throw away _ . I shut off the lights in my quarters and laid down, but continued to stare at the darkened ceiling. 

I presume Maxson would be treating this war against the Institute like a game of chess. He, the face of the Brotherhood, against the faceless specter of the Commonwealth. Knowing Maxson, he would consider himself the King piece upon the chessboard- the most important and untouchable piece. His vast troops were pawns, rooks, knights, and bishops, naturally. The Queen- well, that was Roxi. She was able to move between fractions of the Commonwealth with ease, much like the piece moves to any playable space upon the board. This ease of movement made Roxi powerful, as she had friends in every settlement and friends meant she had options and intel. Maxson would wish to keep Roxi close to him, the King, to protect, to use effectively, and to dangle her out in front of the Institute as bait, hoping they would make a slip.

How would the Institute play? Their pawns and rooks were the metal skeleton and plastic face synths found in the field. Their knights and bishops were the Coursers. Maybe they used Kellogg as their Queen? An irresponsible risk, but a tactic that would be effective for a brief amount of time. Now that the Queen was out of the game, the King- the entire Institute- was open for an attack. 

Roxi was an intelligent woman, and by now I was certain she had realized she was in a game of moves and countermoves. She was a piece in both Maxson’s and the Institute’s game. I only wondered if she had started figuring out her own tactic, and what she was willing to risk to win. 

  
  


At 0800, the teams began to pile into their assigned vertibirds. If the Institute were to examine our past patterns, Roxi would be glued to my side for the entirety of the mission. In her place was Haylen, dressed as a Knight instead of a Scribe, wearing Roxi’s set of power armor. She would be the lead in extracting the Courser chip from the synth’s brain if everything went according to plan. Roxi, dressed in gear for a sniper, hid her hair under Haylen’s field scribe hat and wore aviator sunglasses instead of her white bandana to conceal part of her face. This switch tactic was simple, but hopefully, it would be effective. 

Roxi stepped onto her assigned vertibird with her team of Knights. She clung onto the overhead handrail with one hand, and with the other gave a little two-finger salute in my general direction. The mechanical arm lowered the vertibird beneath the catwalk of the Prydwen as the engines whined to life. I watched as it lifted into the sky and onwards to the designated drop off location. 

Haylen jabbed me in the chest piece with her elbow, bringing me back to the task at hand. “We’re next, Paladin,” she said with a tone of amusement. 

We loaded onto our vertibird and prepared for takeoff. Each of the pilots was tuned into the lower band frequency that Virgil had described to Roxi. These signals would lead us to our target, and each vertibird was to land within the target region to drop off the troops. The rest of the mission would be on foot until finding the Courser. 

****

We located the Courser to be in Greenetech Genetics, but we weren’t alone. Inside the building, we immediately found slaughtered bodies of Gunners. The scenes we stumbled upon were grotesque- a massacre- and the deaths were recent. It only solidified the notion that these Coursers were as elite as Virgil had warned. 

My team had to find the way through the boobytrapped maze the Gunners created to evade the Courser. Gunners were posted in every hallway- or I should say, the ones that had avoided the Courser’s attacks stayed behind. We had to fight through them as they would not pacify. Not only did my team face the dangers of a Gunner’s bullet, but they had set up grenade bouquets on stairwells, tripwires in darkened rooms, and pointed automatic turrets in areas of blindspots. Some rooms held arsenals of weapons, which my team took the liberty of resupplying their ammunition. 

We closed in on the Courser several stories up. It was holding members of the Gunners hostage, by the sound of it. My team was a floor below the target; we listened in on the interrogation of his hostages. 

“Tell me the password,” The Courser demanded with an air of cockiness to his voice. 

“I don’t know the password! I’m telling the truth!” Cried out a hostage. 

“I don’t believe  _ you _ are,” Returned the Courser with the same dripping disdain. A laser rifle was discharged, followed by a  _ thump _ of a fallen body. “All he had to do was tell me the password. Now...are  _ you _ going to cooperate?” 

“Oh, God!” Screamed out another Gunner. “Please. Don’t shoot. Just give me a second to think!” 

“One...Two,” _Bang!_ _Thump_. The Courser killed another one. “And what about you? _Give_ me the password.” 

“Alright, alright! I don’t have the password but I can help you find a way in!” 

I signaled my team to start advancing upstairs, armed and ready for a fight while the two discussed their predicament. “We’re on the fifth floor, White Eagle. Are you in position?” I whispered into the mic. 

“Affirmative,” Roxi replied. 

I climbed upstairs and signaled the team to bust down the doors. Within two blows, the door was kicked in, and the team filed into the room. The Courser turned in surprise as we entered, his rifle scanning all of us. He was tall with broad shoulders and a thin human-like face, wearing a black duster and black gloves. Not at all what I was expecting. 

“You’ve been following me,” The Courser sneered at us with a boastful amount of pride. “Are you here for the synth?”   
“We’re here for you,  _ synth _ .” My voice boomed through the room, echoing off of the high ceilings.

“Hmph. Then you will  _ all  _ die.” The Courser said before going into stealth mode. 

“Fire at will!” I yelled, and the team did just that. 

Our red lasers against his one blue, seemingly coming out of thin air. It was hard to tell where the synth was going, but soon his cloaking device timed out, and he was on the stairs ascending to the room’s balcony. We followed closely behind, keeping our aim low as to avoid damage to the synth’s head. The synth kicked open a set of metal double doors that led out onto the outside balcony. We crowded around the synth- nowhere to go but down. 

“White Eagle,” I said through the mic, “Do you have a clear shot on the target?” 

“Negative, I can’t hit him without hitting one of you.” 

The Courser looked at us all in defiance. He was greatly outnumbered. Before I could give an order, it jumped from the ledge to the ground below. I hurried to the ledge to see what had happened, expecting to see the remains of a broken robot. But instead, the synth got to its feet and began running away. 

“ _ Fuck _ ,” echoed several voices over the mic. 

“Goddamn it,” I muttered.

“Mother _ fuck- _ ” It was Roxi’s voice, angered and desperate, followed by the sound of movement interfering with the mic. 

I looked across the gap towards Roxi’s sniper’s nest only to find that she had slung her rifle over her shoulder and started running across the building rooftops at full speed in the direction of the Courser. She lept from one building to the next without a hint of hesitation.

“Knight get back to your position!” I yelled over the mic.

“I’m not going to have another chance!” She replied without breaking her stride. 

Fucking damn it. I jumped from the balcony and hit the ground. I looked up to the rest of the team, “All eyes on White Eagle, move out!” 

I started at a run, turning the corner of the building in time to witness Roxi take a dangerous leap from one of the buildings, hitting the ground with a roll and springing back onto her feet. Her hat fell off during her roll, and as she ran forward, her locks of white hair broke free. I ran as fast as possible, unable to catch up to the synth and Roxi as they continued running through the city streets. I could hear the rest of the soldiers running behind me, trying to make chase. 

The Courser ran into an open city courtyard and jetted off to the right, Roxi on his heels. From my vantage point, I could no longer see them. 

_ Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! _

My heart jumped with the gunshots. It was not the sound of an Institute Laser Rifle, but Roxi’s .45 pistol. I rushed to the courtyard, finding Roxi and the Courser wrestling on the ground. Roxi was underneath of the synth as he tried to strangle her, but she had a knee in his chest and the other was pinned to the ground by the synth’s knee. She had one hand pushing against her attacker’s face, trying to keep him at bay while the other hand reached for a weapon. 

I ran forward to get the attacker off of Roxi. As I reached the two, Roxi was able to free her weapon and sliced it across the throat of the Courser; blood sprayed from the wound, covering Roxi. Its body went limp, bringing its dead weight on top of Roxi. I reached them at that point, rolling the body off of her. She was panting from the physical exertion as she wiped the blood from her eyes. 

The rest of the soldiers arrived behind me. Haylen was first to my side, stepping out of the power armor suit and got to work extracting the chip from the Courser’s brain. Another Scribe was at Roxi’s side, providing her with clean water and a cloth to get the blood cleaned up. Once she was less gore covered, she looked up to me, taking a slow drink of freshwater. 

“How much trouble am I in?” 

I crossed my arms and stared down at her, “It should be plenty.” 

She nodded, dropping her eyes to the ground before taking another sip of water without comment. 

“Paladin,” Haylen called, “We got the chip. No damage from what we can see.” 

I glanced over to the lobotomy scene, finding Haylen with the device in her hand. “Good. Get it to Proctor Quinlan STAT.” 

“Yes, sir.” 

The rest of the soldiers scurried about, preparing to head back to base with another victory. A few of them even clasped Roxi on the back, celebrating her like a hero. Roxi barely even looked up to those congratulating her, she kept her eyes downcast as she awaited punishment, white hair stained with blood. 

This was a case of pure disobedience, and if it were anyone else, I would have them brought up on charges. Instead, I reached my hand down for her to take. Her eyes looked to my outreached hand, confusion on her face. Her eyes traveled to mine; she raised an eyebrow as to question my actions. 

“We would have failed this mission if you didn’t do what you did. I’m not going to punish you.” 

Tears welled in her eyes, “Danse...I-” 

“-I think you know my lecture well enough by now, Roxi. I’m just happy that you’re alright. Now, let’s get back to base.” I gave her a small smile. A single tear ran down her cheek as she took my hand. I helped her to her feet, “Let’s get you home, soldier.” 

Roxi was welcomed back to base like the lionheart warrior she truly was. Soldiers lined the flight deck and cheered, even Elder Maxson and Lancer-Captian Kells looked pleased from the raised platform of the flight deck. Surely, as the soldiers had returned from the mission, they spewed the story of Roxi’s brave chase. 

Once dismissed from debriefing, Roxi made straightaway for the showers. She enlisted Haylen’s help to wash the blood from her hair, as it had become slicked back and hardened. She threatened that if the blood refused to leave her hair that she would shave her head. I hoped it would not come to such dramatics. 

I cleaned myself up and sat quietly in my quarters, cleaning off my gun, thinking back on the mission. If it wasn’t for Roxi’s desperate and reckless behavior, we would be empty-handed, and the Institute would be tipped off that we knew their greatest secret. The woman had officially taken down a weather-worn Institute merc, a Glowing Deathclaw, and an Institute Courser on her own. 

I know if I were in charge of the Institue, I would be worried. In fact, Arthur Maxson should be fearful of her- as she was the most important piece upon the chessboard, and not he himself. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was written and edited to the following: 
> 
> The Jester- Badflower  
> Madness- Muse  
> Fortunate Son- Creedence Clearwater Revival   
> Holding Out For A Hero (Quixotic Remix)- Bonnie Tyler  
> Blue Monday- Sebastian Bohm   
> Bad Girls- M.I.A.  
> Get It- BnW


	30. Chapter 30 (NSFW)

#  **Roxi**

The sun began to rise on the horizon as Danse and I reached the turn around point for our morning run. We caught our breath and stretched for a few moments, neither of us in too much of a hurry to return. This was the first time we had been able to escape the Prydwen since our mission at Greenetech Genetics. I felt a weight lift from my shoulders the moment we left the base. It had been several exhausting days of computer analysis failures with the Courser Chip, and I desperately needed a few hours away from the chaos. 

Just as I was readying to turn back, Danse slipped an arm around my waist, gently bringing me to face him. 

“What’s on your mind, Danse?” I smiled sweetly up to him, tracing my fingers over the muscles of his biceps. 

He smirked, “ _ You _ .” 

My sweet smile turned into a devilish smirk, feeling butterflies in my stomach, “What about me?” 

“Your punishment,” He said almost matter-of-factly with a nefarious look in his eyes. 

My heart rate quickened as he took my hand and led me to the abandoned homes nearby. He opened the door to one of the more structurally intact houses and checked it for ghouls or other unwanted creatures. The site was clear; Danse proceeded to lead me into the kitchen. He picked me up without a word and seated me on top of the table in the center of the room.

“Why must you continue to risk your life?” He smirked, brushing my hair back before sending a trail of kisses from my ear and down my neck. 

“How are you going to punish me,  _ Paladin _ ?” I breathed as Danse began removing my clothing. 

He gave a low chuckle, “I’m going to make you beg.” 

Danse stripped me naked, kissing the newly bare skin each time an article of clothing was removed. He spread my legs wide; he placed one arm around my lower back to hold me in place, while the other hand began to massage my sex. He gently placed his thumb on my clit, rubbing in gentle circles. I let out a whimper; he placed his lips against my neck, tenderly kissing the sensitive skin. Two fingers entered me- I moaned and rolled my hips against his intrusion. Danse sleekly pushed against the upper wall of my sex; I sucked in a deep breath as he began to massage it with those two wonderful fingers. 

He had control over me- picking up his pace until I was almost to my climax, then slowing down, sending kisses over my neck and jawline. My moans became desperate after several minutes of wonderful torture, heart pounding in my chest. I felt powerless to Danse’s skilled fingers; it was  _ incredible _ . 

Danse edged me closer to my orgasm once more, “Beg for it, Roxi.  _ Beg _ for it.” 

“ _ Danse _ !  _ Please _ !” I panted, hips bucking in rhythm to his fingers, “ _ Please, Paladin _ .  _ Make me cum _ .” 

“Are you going to behave?” 

“Yes,  _ yes _ ,  _ sir _ !” 

“Good girl,” he whispered in my ear; chills ripped down my spine with his words.

Danse kept the pace of his fingers instead of slowing down, and my sweet release swiftly came. I rocked against his hand before falling limp into his chest. As I caught my breath, he removed his fingers from me to drop his running shorts. He stroked himself as he looked me over with a pleased gleam in his eyes. 

He guided me safely down from the table and repositioned me so I was bent over it instead. I did not protest, craving more pleasure from him. A gentle hand was on my hip, steadying me as he penetrated his cock inside my walls. I let out a moan, accepting his girth.

The Paladin started slow, holding both sides of my hips in his hands, and worked his way into quick, hard thrusts. I outstretched my arms onto the table, lowering myself to be flush with the wood to give him total control. I gasped and cried out as he ravaged me, the sensation of another orgasm began to build within me. 

My knees began to shake, my legs felt too weak to stand on their own. Danse picked up on my weakness and pulled up on my hips so he could continue his rhythm without interpretation. He let out a low groan, one that reverberated up my spine- he was getting close. His breathing became heavier, his moans became louder, hands tightened on my hips. I felt his cock begin to twitch inside me. He let out a growl, spilling his seed with sharp thrusts. The sensation of his warmth spilling inside tipped me over the edge, and I came- trashing on the table under him, almost losing consciousness.

It took several moments to catch my breath and regain the strength to stand after Danse withdrew from me. I stood up and turned to face my lover. Danse had his hands on his hips, panting, but looked very satisfied. He stepped towards me and picked me up, setting me back on the table.

“Did I go too far?” He asked, kissing my temple.

I chuckled, lacing my fingers in the chain of his holotags “No, it was a  _ much- _ needed distraction.” 

He placed his forehead against mine, “Good.” 

“ _ Very _ unlike yourself,  _ Paladin _ .” 

“Well,” He said with a laugh, “I had to get your mind off of everything somehow. You’re driving yourself insane.” 

“You’re not wrong,” I smirked. 

I tilted my head up to kiss his lips. He returned the kiss- gentle, soft, and warm. It had been too long since we last touched so sensually that I had almost forgotten what it felt like to be in his arms. I rested my head against his chest as he gently stroked my back. We stayed this way for several minutes, neither of us wanting to return to the chaos aboard the Prydwen.

“We should head back soon,” Danse said softly.

I groaned, “I don’t think I can move. Just carry me back.” 

A strong laugh resonated from his chest, “We can take an easy walk back, don’t worry.” 

  
  


Back aboard the Prydwen, we were met by some exhausted-looking Scribes that indicated Proctor Quinlan wanted to see us. I rolled my eyes; Proctor Quinlan was definitely not my favorite person aboard this ship, and I’m certain the feeling was mutual. Reluctantly, we made our way to his quarters to receive the news he had for us. 

“Ah, Knight  _ Andrews _ ,” The Proctor said in his ever-present condescending tone. “And  _ Paladin _ Danse!” 

“Proctor,” We returned simultaneously. 

“Un _ for _ tunat _ ely _ ,” The Proctor drew out the word to articulate various syllables, something he was quite fond of doing. It set my teeth on edge every time I held a conversation with him. “My scribes and I are unable to de _ code _ this Courser Chip. You will have to find some other means of  _ solving  _ its  _ mys _ ter _ ies _ .” 

“Where would you begin, Proctor?” Danse questioned. 

Danse was starting to form plans A, B, and C. I, on the other hand, withdrew from the conversion and began to think of my own alternatives. I placed my thumb and index finger to my lips in thought and began to pace. I could call upon Sturges and Curie in Sanctuary, both savvy with different forms of technology, but neither had even dabbled in Institute level computer science. Dr. Amari in Goodneighbor was handy with synths, but I doubt she had ever dealt with a Courser’s technology. But...there was one other option. It would be frowned upon in the Brotherhood to seek out their professional opinion...but…

I snapped my fingers together, grabbing Danse’s attention, “I got it. Can I have that Chip back?” I looked to the Proctor, who’s expression was screwed up in distaste. I must have interrupted him unknowingly, and frankly, I didn't care. He reluctantly handed the piece over, “Thanks. Danse,” I turned back to the Paladin, “We need to take a field trip.” 

“A field trip?” He asked, eyebrows knitting together. “Where?” 

“You’re just going to have to trust me on this,” I winked, silently telling him that I wouldn’t discuss this with Proctor Goody-two-shoes beside us. “I might have a friend who can help.” 

Danse regarded me for a moment, “Alright. Ladies first.” 

We left Quinlan’s quarters and found our way to the Forward Deck to discuss the details of my plan in private. Once I was certain we were alone, I turned to Danse. 

“Do you remember my friend Deacon?” I whispered.

Danse raised an eyebrow, “Yes. Can he decode this Chip?” 

“He might have a friend that can. But they’re definitely not sympathizers with the Brotherhood.” 

“Don’t tell me it’s the Railroad,” He gave me a stern look. 

I shrugged, “What choice do we have? The Brotherhood’s best can’t hack this thing, and I sure as hell have no idea what to do with it.” 

Danse took a long moment to reply, pacing about the deck as he contemplated my suggestion. “Fine,” He turned back to me. “Do you know even where they’re located?” 

“One if by land, two if by sea,” I smirked. 

Within the hour, Danse and I were dressed and aboard a vertibird on course to the Cambridge Police Station. I persuaded Danse to stay out of his power armor for this mission, as we did not want to give the Railroad the _completely_ wrong impression. It was already bad enough that they knew I was a Brotherhood member, and would most likely be met with hostility. 

From the Police Station, we walked across town to the Old North Church. I couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched as we drew near the church. The Railroad most definitely had agents posted in the abandoned buildings to keep tabs on who came near their hideout.

“I feel eyes on my back,” Danse mumbled. 

“Mmmhmm,” I nodded. 

I stood before the door to the church. A lantern was drawn in white chalk on the brick beside the door; this was the place. I opened the door, Danse following closely behind with his rifle at the ready. 

The church was in disarray. Glowing fungus grew through the cracks of the floorboards, casting a green light over everything inside.

“This church used to be beautiful,” I sighed as I stepped into the main hall. 

“It’s a shame these historical landmarks are reduced to rubble,” Danse agreed, looking around the room. 

“What?” Called out a voice from inside the church, startling Danse and I. “You don’t think splintered and burnt wood are beautiful landmarks?” 

I looked around to find the disembodied voice, finding him on the upper level. “Hey, Deacon.” 

“Nice to see you, Roxi.” Deacon said as he began to make for the stairs. “I didn’t expect to see you here. Especially alongside Elder Maxson’s  _ favorite  _ Paladin.” 

Danse stiffened at the comment but did not reply. 

I smirked as Deacon approached us, “We have something of interest to your... _ friends _ .” 

“I’ll be the judge of that. No offense,” Deacon smirked. “What do you have for me?” 

I pulled the Courser Chip from my breast pocket. “Be gentle,” I handed the device gingerly to Deacon. “I had to fight a Courser for this, and I most definitely would like to avoid doing it again.” 

Deacon chuckled as he examined the Chip. “I wish I could’ve been there to see it. I’m sure you had a lot of fun.” 

“It was a challenge,” I nodded. 

“And  _ reckless _ ,” Danse muttered. 

“Reckless?” Deacon jeered, “That’s my  _ girl _ , Roxi! Stick it to those Institute bastards.” 

I felt my face flush and the sensation that Danse’s eyes were boring into the back of my skull. “What do you think, Deac?” 

He nodded, “Yup that’s a Chip, alright. I’m sure my friends would be interested in taking a look. But, I’m guessing you’re not here just to show off your cool new toy. What do you need from  _ us _ ?” 

“I need it decoded. I’ve found a way into the Institue, and the code on this thing is the key.” 

Deacon’s mouth dropped open, “You  _ found _ a way in?” 

“ _ Roxi _ ,” Danse growled. I looked over my shoulder to meet his glare, “Remember who you’re dealing with.” 

Deacon looked at Danse and only laughed in his general direction. It was enough to piss Danse off, I could practically hear his nostrils flare. My face flushed bright red, knowing how much trouble I could be getting myself into. I pinched the bridge of my nose and prayed that this standoff would end soon.

“Alright, Rox,” Deacon handed the chip back to me, “I’ll talk to my friends and tell them what you need. I’ll be back to let you know what they think, deal?” 

“Deal,” I nodded and tucked the Chip away. 

Deacon walked into a darkened hallway and disappeared. I found a spot on the floor that wasn’t covered in splinters and took a seat. Danse paced around the church with his rifle in hand. 

“I hope you know what you’re doing,” Danse lectured me from across the room. 

“Yup.” 

“We can’t risk sharing too much of our intel on the Institute.” 

“ _ Yup _ ,” I said, lying down of the floor and staring up at the ceiling. 

“To think how desperate we are to seek help from the likes of the Railroad.” 

I yawned, “uh-huh.” 

I dozed off as Danse continued his mumblings about the Railroad’s subterfuge. I woke to the sound of Deacon singing  _ Suspicious Minds _ as he returned from the dark hallway he had disappeared. I sat myself up and fixed my ponytail as he neared. Danse quit pacing and came to stand behind me.

“Alright, chickie,” Deacon sat down on the ground in front of me. “So, we’re willing to give you the code to that Chip. But- they want to meet with you.” 

“Oh,” I was caught off guard, “Meet with me?” 

“ _ Just  _ you.” 

“No,” Danse said sternly, “We go together or not at all.” 

“That’s part of the deal, boss,” Deacon said calmly, peering over his shades at me. 

I thought about things for a moment, about how much hinged on this particular code. I stood up and brushed myself off. Deacon stood as well and began humming _Suspicious_ _Minds_ where he had left off singing. I turned to Danse, who was looking down at me with worry in his eyes instead of the anger I had anticipated. 

“I’ll be alright, Danse.” 

“Roxi,  _ no _ . We  _ cannot  _ trust them,” Danse pleaded. 

“ _ Danse _ , please. You have to trust  _ me _ . Wait for me here, I’ll be back before you know it.” 

He let out a heavy sigh and closed his eyes. “Roxi...just...please, don’t forget your way back to me.” 

“I won’t,” I said, gently touching his arm. “I promise.” I turned to Deacon and nodded. He smiled and waved his arm for me to follow. 

We entered the darkened hallway and followed the narrow descending staircases until reaching the catacombs underneath the church. The catacombs were only lit by the glowing fungus that grew in large clusters along the floor and up the stone walls. As we walked around the many twists and turns of the labyrinth, I realized how easy it was to get turned around.

“He’s pretty damn protective of you, Rox,” Deacon said after putting some space between us and the church. “And here I thought you weren’t allowed to have a heart when you joined the Brotherhood.” 

“Ha-ha, very funny.”

“No,  _ honest _ ,” Deacon said in the tone that told me he was being sarcastic, “I thought that was a requirement to get into the Brotherhood. I thought Maxson had to cut out your heart and feed it to the Squires for dinner.” 

I snorted, “Jesus H. Christ, Deacon.” 

“Well,” he shrugged, “Maybe he just missed yours.” 

I rolled my eyes behind his back, “Maybe he did.” 

“So why is Paladin Boy protective of you?” 

“He sponsored me when I joined the Brotherhood. He’s my Commanding Officer,” I said flatly. 

“You suck at lying.” 

“ _ Oh _ . Shut up,” I snorted. Deacon let out a chuckle. “We’re...I don’t know what we  _ are _ , actually. But whatever it is, we’re both in deep trouble if Maxson ever found out.” 

Deacon turned around with glee on his face, “You’re  _ still  _ a troublemaker, and I am  _ here _ for it! _Yes_!” 

I laughed and punched him in the arm, “Trouble follows me everywhere.” 

We walked a few more feet before coming to a wall with an old Boston Freedom Trail insignia on the wall. Deacon started fumbling with the rings of the insignia, entering what seemed like a secret password. Once he completed his tinkering, there was a loud  _ click! _ The brick wall shifted and was pulled away, releveling yet another dark hallway. 

“Things to note before we go further,” Deacon turned to me, completely serious. “You are the first outsider to ever step into our HQ, so we'd like you to keep it under wraps. They already know everything they need to know about you. They haven’t forgotten the helping hand you spared before you joined the Brotherhood. They know that you took out Kellogg- which, by the way, they _love_ that story. Of course, they might pry for some info on the Brotherhood. They might even try to convince you to switch sides. They are most _definitely_ going to ask you a few thousand or so questions about intel on the Institute. But most importantly, expect them to ask a favor in return for this decoding session.  _ Capisce _ ?” 

“Got it,” I nodded.

“Follow me, and prepare to have your mind... _ boggled _ .” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was written and edited to the following: 
> 
> Living Dead Girl- Rob Zombie  
> One Headlight- The Wallflowers  
> We Are Gods- Audiomachine


	31. Chapter 31

#  **Roxi**

The Railroad HQ was...for lack of a better term, a clusterfuck, and I found myself feeling extremely underwhelmed. As Deacon guided me through the catacombs, I was expecting to go through a door and find myself in a repurposed vault; a high-tech hideout with computers lining the walls and functioning cameras in various areas in the outside world. But what I found instead was a brick and dirt dungeon that smelled of mildew with desks lined up covered in stacks of paperwork, conspiracy boards, and a few dirty mattresses spread out on the floor. And- Jesus  _ Christ-  _ were those stone coffins? 

Deacon’s fellow agents stopped what they were doing and stared at the outsider in their midst. Four agents stood around a candlelit round table, examining the documents spread out in front of them. As we approached, the four picked their eyes up from their studies and peered at me over Deacon’s shoulder. 

“This is the one?” Asked the woman in the middle with a cold glare. 

“The one and only, Dez. Dez meet Roxi Andrews. Roxi, meet Desdemona, our Commander in Chief per se.”

Desdemona rolled her eyes and threw her red hair over her shoulder. She moved away from the table to stand before me and looked me over with crossed arms. “Deacon here says that you took down a Courser by yourself.” 

“Yes, ma’am,” I cleared my throat with unease. 

“ _ Hmph _ . And you have an intact Courser Chip to tell the tale. I hope your  _ friends _ in the Brotherhood haven’t destroyed the data on it already.” 

“If they did, they’re going after the next Courser,” I mumbled, resonating a laugh out of those that heard. 

Desdemona smirked, “So, here’s the deal. Tom here can get you the code,” She nodded to the man beside her, “but once he’s done,  _ we  _ get the Courser Chip.” 

“Why do you need the Chip?” 

“Institute tech is light-years beyond what we have, and a Courser Chip is top of the line. I’m not going to get into details, but that Chip could help us save lives. Maybe throw a wrench in some of the Institute’s operations! So, hand over the Chip,” She glared. 

I pulled it from my breast pocket, fully aware that there was no other option, and handed it over, “Fine. Have at it.” 

Desdemona placed the chip in Tom’s hand, who almost squealed with joy. Tom plugged the chip into a special component hooked to his computer and began typing vigorously. He started to mumble sweet nothings to his computer, coaxing it along through the hack. 

“Deacon tells us that you’ve found a way into the Institute,” Desdemona stared at me with wide eyes and a frown. I could tell she was trying to hide her eagerness behind bitterness. 

“Perhaps,” I said, matching her cold tone. 

“Pitty you’re a pawn for the Brotherhood.” 

I raised an eyebrow, “I’m not a pawn.” 

“No?” Desdemona snickered, and so did a few other agents that were eavesdropping. “Then, what are you?” 

I straightened myself, unappreciative of her tone, and answered with the first comeback that popped into my head, “I’m a wildcard.”  _ Oh, you idiot _ ,  _ why are you the way that you are?  _

“Got it!” Yelled Tom, “I’ll get it ready for ya now.” 

Desdemona didn’t take her eyes off of me, “A  _ wildcard _ , hm? Well. If that’s so. Any information you get about the Institute, feel... _ obligated  _ to share. Deacon has praised your skills, it would be a shame if you wasted it belonging to an organization that will use you and then will toss you aside. I’m assuming the Brotherhood only wishes to destroy the Institute.” 

“I don’t know their full intentions,” I admitted, “But I wouldn’t doubt it.” 

“Why has the Brotherhood put you in the lead of traveling to the Institute? What makes  _ you  _ the chosen one?” 

“Because this is personal. And I have reason to believe that they’re keeping close tabs on me.” I desperately wanted to change the conversation. I looked Desdemona up and down, “I’m guessing you want information on synths?” 

" _ Yes _ . Any way that we can help them, we want to know."

I contemplated for a few moments. If I told them no, I would leave this place empty-handed. They weren’t doing charity work decoding this Chip, they were leveraging. If I told them yes, I would be committing treason against Elder Maxson and the Brotherhood of Steel by working with the enemy. There had to be a common ground, one that I could easily pass along without having too harsh repercussions.  _ The Enemy of my Enemy is my Friend _ . However, in Maxson’s eyes, everyone was an enemy if you were not Brotherhood. I came to my conclusion and carefully arranged my words before speaking. 

“If I survive this adventure to the Institute, I’ll bring you intel on the synths. Everything else I’m classifying for the Brotherhood only. Bringing you  _ any  _ hint of what the Institute holds is enough treason to kill me.” 

Desdemona smiled, “We have a deal.” She took the code from Tom and handed it to me, “We’ll be eagerly awaiting your return.” 

Deacon led me back through the labyrinth, stopping at the end of the catacombs to say our goodbyes. I climbed the stairs with a newfound satisfaction. The Railroad may not have been what I had anticipated, but at least they got the job done. The next step was building the contraption Virgil had drawn alongside Proctor Ingram. I was excited about the project- it was an excuse to get my hands dirty, and I looked forward to the mental challenge this machine was bound to present. 

As I reached the last stair landing, I was overcome with an emotion I didn’t quite understand. Anticipation? Apprehension? The thought of what was to come put me on edge, freezing me in place. I tried to silence my spiraling anxiety and forced myself to turn the corner. I could see into the once beautiful white church through the threshold. Danse was sitting on one of the broken pews staring down at his hands. I moved forward towards him, it felt like gravity was pulling me. As I stepped through the door, Danse looked to see who approached, ready to pull his gun if it was an unsavory character. 

“We got the code,” I smiled. 

“Good,” He smirked and stood from his seat. “Let's head back. This place makes me feel...unsettled.”

“You got it, Paladin,” I said with a soft smile.

Danse gave a half-smile before making the first move toward the exit. As I watched him walk away, the seriousness of my situation hit me with crushing weight, and I couldn’t control the downward spiral of thoughts. 

The Railroad had presented another opportunity of chaos and disloyalty. It was almost like Virgil’s serum- just the slightest tip into betrayal against Elder Maxson’s Brotherhood of Steel. It was a decision that wouldn’t come without repercussions if found out. 

It didn’t matter to me about the Brotherhood’s main mission, or what they truly intended with the Institute. For me, my end goal was always Shaun. I didn’t even have a plan for  _ after _ .  _ After _ this was over. I highly doubted I would stay with the Brotherhood if it continued in its current direction. I probably would finish out my enlistment period and part ways. And as I watched the broad-shouldered handsome Paladin walk away, I realized he wouldn’t leave  _ with  _ me. 

A crushing pain spread through my chest. 

_ Our relationship was doomed. _

Danse wouldn’t leave- the Brotherhood was his entire life, his family. I didn’t want to be a mother of Squires or continue to hide my love during wartime for the rest of my life. I wouldn’t want Shaun to be forced into life as a Squire after knowing nothing but the Institute. Danse and I would have to part ways. He would continue to fight, leading another recon team to some desolate area of the Wasteland. 

I...had no idea what I’d do with my life. I would have Shaun to raise- I could no longer be the careless merc I had turned into before joining the Brotherhood. Maybe I could go back to Diamond City- run cases with Nick Valentine, bartend at the Dugout Inn, co-host Piper’s morning radio show, or even open up my own repair shop. The Diamond City Public School was a decent form of education for wastelanders, but I’m sure Shaun’s knowledge far surpassed basic reading, writing, and arithmetic after being raised by the Institute. 

I could see Danse purposely finding excuses to lead his recon team into Diamond City just to pop into my workplace. He would give his team some kind of weak excuse of why he needed to deviate from the schedule, and step into the establishment. Our eyes would meet with the painful recognition that only lovers turned strangers understood. We’d engage in excruciating small talk, unsure how to regard one another. It would be tormenting to see each other again. We would quickly realize how much easier it was to forget completely and move along than it was to be so close but yet...worlds away. My only hope was that Danse would find a faithful Brotherhood woman who loved him more than I did and give him everything he ever wanted...

“Danse,” I whimpered, feeling the tears roll down my cheeks before I realized I was crying. 

He turned on a dime, eyes full of worry, “What’s wrong?” He took two strides and had me in his arms, “Are you okay?” 

I sobbed into his chest, “I...I just...I think I’m  _ cracking _ .” 

He gently stroke my hair and kept his voice soft, “What do you mean?” 

“I just...I think I’m having an anxiety attack,” I said with a shuddering sigh. “We’re so close to the end, and I’m afraid of what happens after.” 

“ _ Hm _ , I see. Tell me what has you worried.” 

I spoke through my sobs, knowing that some of my words were incomprehensible, and told him all of my fears. Everything from the Railroad’s request for information to my detailed depiction of us breaking up. I confided in him my uncertainty of staying with the Brotherhood, and my worries of traveling to the Institute. Even though it felt good to release my pent up anxiety, I finished my blabbering with a new fear of Danse’s reaction to my outburst. 

“I’m...so... _ sorry _ ,” I panted out. 

“Roxi,” Danse whispered and kissed the top of my head. “It’s okay. You can only worry about what you can control at this moment. We haven’t even started building the machine to get you to the Institue, and we don’t know if it will work. You’re thinking too far ahead.”

“B-b-but what about  _ us _ ? Am I right? Are we going to have to part ways if I don’t want to stay in the Brotherhood?” 

“ _ Shh _ ,” He cooed, wrapping me tighter in his arms. “I don’t know, Roxi. Like I said, one thing at a time.” 

I took a few calming breaths, listening to Danse’s heart breathing within his chest. “Danse, I love you.” 

“I love you, more than you know.”

Once Danse had successfully calmed me down, we started our walk back to the police station. Although I felt better from my mental health upheaval, the images of us reuniting as strangers kept playing over and over in my head. I stayed close to Danse, trying to use his physical presence to help ground me to reality- to this moment in time. 

Just as we were about to turn onto the street that led to the police station, Danse pulled me into the shadows. He looked deeply into my eyes and wrapped his arms around me with his handsome half-smile. 

“Are you going to be alright?” Danse brushed a lock of my hair from my face. 

“I’ll be alright as long as I have you,” I tried to smile. 

He brought his lips gently to mine, kissing me sweetly. “Good. Are you ready to go back? Or do you need a few more minutes?” 

I huffed a laugh, “A few more minutes, Paladin.” 

I brought my lips gently back to his. Danse was more than happy to oblige. I ran my fingers through his thick hair as Danse tightened his arms around me. This was a moment that I could control. At that moment, it was reality. And everything else- everything I was afraid of- could wait a little while longer. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the delayed post! I scrapped this chapter three times...
> 
> This chapter was written and edited to the following:  
> Iron- Woodkid  
> A Little Bit Off- Five Finger Death Punch  
> We Are Gods- Audiomachine  
> The Drug in Me is Reimagined- Falling in Reverse


	32. Chapter 32

#  **Danse**

Between Proctor Ingram and Roxi, the Singal Interceptor was built within a week. During this week, my knowledge of how much black coffee one petite mid-twenties woman could ingest on her own was challenged. I also had the entertainment of watching that same young woman swear a sting of non-stop obscenities at an inanimate object- several times to be correct. 

Elder Maxson and I stood off to the side as the two ladies prepared for their initial electrical function test. With only one code, they could not test the actual stability of the machine- there would only be one shot of teleportation at Roxi’s expense. 

“Alright,” Proctor Ingram yelled over the noise of the generators, “Let’s see if this will turn on!” 

“Roger that!” Roxi called back, stepping back from the fuse box. 

“Three...two...one!” Ingram hit the switch, but nothing happened. 

“ _ Fuck _ !” Exclaimed Roxi, throwing a wrench to the ground and ripping her fingers through her hair. 

Roxi jumped behind the control panel and began fumbling with the wire hookups. She straightened herself and hurried back to the computer. Proctor Ingram was checking the switches and buttons. I could tell Roxi was becoming increasingly infuriated just by her furrowed brow, meanwhile, Ingram was going through her checklist with an expression of poise. The two ladies were talking to one another and pointed to the different parts of the system. Abruptly, Roxi punched the fuse box panel and the entire machine roared to life. Roxi’s face lit up with joy, while Ingram shook her head in disbelief. 

I let out a snort and shook my head. 

“Fiesty, isn’t she?” Elder Maxson said with a touch of amusement. 

“Certainly unceremonious,” I nodded in agreement. 

“How is she feeling? Nervous?” 

I looked at the Elder, who was cool and composed, eyes fixated on the Signal Interceptor. Roxi would not approve if I were to tell the Elder about her anxieties. Although I knew how she felt, it was best that the Elder did not. “She has not been forthcoming with her concerns. I’m sure she has plenty but has kept them to herself thus far.” 

Maxson nodded once, “Make sure she doesn’t back out. We have a lot riding on this opportunity. It cannot be wasted.” 

“Yes, sir. Understood.” 

Maxson nodded again and turned to leave. Proctor Ingram shut down the machine and scribbled something in her notes. I would like to believe she had written something along the lines of  _ ‘if the machine does not turn on, punch the fuse box with an incredible amount of rage _ . _ ’ _

The sun was beginning to set, and the solar-powered floodlights began to click on where the shadows replaced the light. The night guards began to file in to stand guard of the Signal Interceptor, something that occurred every night for concerns of sabotage. Roxi looked over the machine for a long moment before turning and walking toward me.

“Paladin,” She smiled as she approached. 

“Knight,” I nodded. 

“Did the Elder have anything to say?” She turned around and watched the soldiers filing in for their shift. 

“He wants me to ensure that you won’t back out at the last minute.” 

Roxi scoffed, “Of course. He can be reassured that I am fully prepared to continue this mission.” 

I smirked, “I’ll report back immediately.” 

She gave a small chuckle, “Welp. I’m starving. Let’s go up and get dinner.” 

After dinner, we headed for the showers. Roxi was in a hurry to get back on the Prydwen, as a few Knights and Scribes were throwing her a party in the underbelly of the ship. She almost beat me out of the showers, her hair still wrapped up in a towel on her head. 

“Are you going to the party?” Roxi asked with sincerity. 

I felt my face become warm, “I...uh...I normally don’t attend those types of... _ engagements _ .” 

“Well… _ alright _ , Paladin,” She smiled. We boarded the transport vertibird and was lifted to the flight deck of the Prydwen. When we stepped off, Roxi continued, “Proctor Teagan secured the booze for us tonight, so he’ll be there drinking half of it. You wouldn’t be the only Superior there if you were to, ya know,  _ stop by _ . But I understand if you don’t.” 

“Don’t forget, you’ll need to be up early tomorrow morning,” I leaned against the handrail, looking at her with a degree of enormity. 

“I know, I  _ know _ ,” She giggled and melted my seriousness immediately. “Tomorrow is the big day.” 

“Have fun tonight,” I said softly. “But, not  _ too  _ much fun.” 

She laughed, sending shivers down my spine, “I’ll have a  _ tolerable _ amount of fun.” 

I eyed her with playfulness, “A  _ responsible _ amount of fun, Knight.” 

“Oh,  _ alright _ ,” She giggled. “Have a good night, Danse.” 

“You as well, Roxi.” 

Roxi left to ready for the party. I stayed outside, looking over the base now that night had officially fallen. Roxi may have mastered hiding her anxiety regarding this mission, but I had not. I let out a heavy sigh against the cold breeze. Tomorrow, Roxi would step onto the platform of the Signal Interceptor and either be whisked away to the Institute, or be obliterated before our eyes. I wished we were off base so I could hold her close to me, one last time. 

I stayed outside for a long time as I collected my thoughts. When I finally stepped foot on the Prydwen’s main deck, I could hear the loud music and voices echoing through the ship. Roxi’s party was in full swing, and I wondered how long it would take Elder Maxson to step in and shut it down. 

Inside of my quarters, I plopped down on the bed and listened to the sounds of the distant party. I must have drifted off to sleep. The sound of my door opening startled me, and I shot up bolt straight in bed. 

“Hey, it’s me,” Roxi whispered as she shut the door quietly behind her. 

“Wasn’t the door locked?” 

She snickered as she tiptoed to the bed, “There isn’t a lock I can’t pick.” Roxi crawled onto the bed and straddled my legs, wrapping her arms around my shoulders. “I wanted to see you before the morning. We won’t be able to say goodbye the way we’d like.” 

I smirked in the darkness, “How much have you had to drink?” 

“Two beers and a shot,” She giggled. “ _ I _ know how to pace myself, Paladin.” 

“Good,” I said softly. I found her lips in the dark and secured my hands around her hips, “We have to be quick and quiet.” 

“Then stop wasting time,” She laughed. 

****

1000 hours arrived too quickly. Roxi was surrounded by a circle of her fellow Knights that were performing a chant around her. I watched the group from a distance as they locked arms around one another and huddled together, going through an old chant that was used for their most respected members. When the chant ended, Roxi emerged from the center and started her way toward the Signal Interceptor. As Roxi walked through the gates, Proctor Ingram fired up the machine. I followed close behind Roxi, my eyes never leaving her. 

Roxi met with Elder Maxson. He advised her of finding Doctor Madison Li- a noted mind in the field of nuclear engineering that the Brotherhood had once recruited. Doctor Li left the Brotherhood after a few years of service, and also left the Captial Wasteland. The only explanation for a scientist of her expertise to leave her homeland was to pursue a place that she could practice her work- The Institute. Maxson wouldn’t reveal all of the details of why Doctor Li was an asset to the Brotherhood’s future but reiterated the importance of finding and recruiting her. Once Maxson was finished, Roxi moved to Proctor Ingram at the control station. 

“I’ve checked and rechecked everything,” Ingram said over the noise of the machine. “I think the Interceptor is ready to go. Are you?” 

Roxi took a deep breath, “Yes. It’s now or never, Proctor.” 

“Alright. Here, take this holotape. If you make it inside the Institute, it has a program on it to download information. This could be our one chance to find out everything we need to know about them.” She handed Roxi the holotape, and Roxi stored it away in a zippered pocket of her leather jacket. “Hop onto the platform and we’ll get this show on the road.” 

Roxi turned and looked up to me. There was a calmness in her eyes where I expected to see panic. This mission was do or die for her, and there was no backing down. 

“Knight,” I nodded. 

“Paladin,” Roxi nodded in return. 

There were a million things I wanted to say. I wanted to kiss her and tell her that I loved her. But, instead, I softly said, “Good luck, soldier.” 

‘Thank you. I’ll make you proud,” She smiled. 

Roxi turned and walked to the machine. She took one look at the platform before her and stepped up onto it. I took my place behind Proctor Ingram, beside Elder Maxson. Ingram started running through the checklists of functions to get the machine ready. She announced when she input the code and waited for a few minutes as she tried to hijack a signal. 

“Well, well! Looks like we have a winner!” Ingram announced. 

Roxi closed her eyes and took a deep breath. 

Ingram continued, “RF wave capture complete! Ramping up the emitter! Sixty percent! Eighty percent! Emitter spiking but holding steady! All that’s left is to through the transmitter switch. Transmitting in three, two, one!” 

Roxi calmly crossed herself. She opened her eyes and locked onto mine- that same calm determined look as before. 

“Stay safe soldier!” Ingram called out just as the bright blue light from the machine intensified. 

The light was blinding- I had to turn away and shut my eyes. The snapping electric sound was deafening. The heat from the blast washed over us like a forceful wind. When I opened my eyes, the first thing I noticed was the melted and scorched metal beams. Secondly, Roxi had vanished. 

“Jesus Christ,” Ingram gasped, “It actually  _ worked _ .”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was written and edited to the following: 
> 
> Faint- Linkin Park  
> Living Dead Girl- Rob Zombie  
> Iron- Woodkid


	33. Chapter 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Potential trigger warning!**

#  **Danse**

Roxi was gone. She disappeared off of that goddamn platform and God only knew where she was. A flash of blue light, a wave of intense heat, and then... _ nothing _ . What were those Institute bastards doing to her? Hostage? Torture? Were they using her for some sick experiment? Was she even still alive? The thoughts were maddening…I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t sleep.

Once the twenty-four-hour mark came and went, and people began to talk. AWOL? POW? Was she a traitor? Was she captured? Did they kill her on-site? Would she endure torture to keep the Brotherhood’s secrets safe? 

I paced in front of the burnt and melted structure that was once the Signal Interceptor. Proctor Ingram and her team were beginning to clean up the area and offset the surviving equipment to use on other Brotherhood projects. 

“Danse,” Ingram called out as she approached, “You’re going to wear a path in the concrete if you keep this up.” 

“Apologies, Proctor,” I gruffly replied. 

“She’ll be alright, Danse. She’s strong and smart.” 

I let out a heavy sigh, “It’s not her skills I’m worried about. It’s been an entire day...”

“I don’t think the Institute is stupid enough to entice an attack with us by keeping a POW.” 

The acronym  _ POW _ sent a chill down my spine, “Agreed.” 

Eight more hours passed. Proctor Ingram and I began to discuss taking shifts so we could return to the Prydwen while keeping watch for Roxi’s return. As we discussed the best course of action, Elder Maxson and two Knight guards crossed the gate. He approached us and placed his hands behind his back with a cold stare. 

“Any news?” Maxson asked, sounding disappointed. 

“Nothing yet, sir,” Ingram shook her head. 

Maxson nodded once, “I’m relieving you two of your constant guard here. These Knights will patrol the area for the next twelve hours. After that, then we’ll discuss other options.” 

“Sir,” I said before I could stop myself, “‘Other options?’”

“Paladin, she’s either a prisoner or a traitor. After another twelve hours, we will be forced to figure out which __ Knight Andrews has become. We can’t afford to wait-”

A flash of blue and white light interrupted the Elder’s declaration. We all turned in the direction of the flash. Roxi stood just a few feet away, looking rather weak and unsteady before collapsing onto the ground. Everyone rushed to her aid; I was the first to reach her. I dropped to my knees and immediately reached out to help her. 

“ _ No _ !” Roxi cried out, “No. Please. Just give me a few minutes. I need air.” 

She was panting and looked very pale and weak. With quite a lot of effort, she turned herself to lie flat on her back and stared upwards to the overcast sky. Her expression was much like soldiers that were experiencing shell shock. Something bad must have happened- and I felt myself becoming angry. 

Elder Maxson moved to stand over her, eyebrows knitting together as he took in the sight of her current state. “Knight, what happened? Did you get inside.” 

“Oh, yeah,” Roxi answered, distant and shallow, disregarding any Brotherhood formalities. She continued to look directly above her, “I was there. I saw it.” 

Maxson began to pepper her with questions, although she did not reply. She stared off into the sky, possibly reliving the hell she endured at the Institue. It only increased the Elder’s frustration. He sighed with defeat and turned to me, “When she’s ready, bring her to my quarters, Paladin.” 

“Yes, sir.” 

Maxson turned and left with his two guards. Ingram slowly approached as if not to startle Roxi. Roxi shut her eyes tight against the world and took a few deep breaths. 

“I’m sorry,” Roxi weakly managed, “I’m really dizzy.” 

“That’s okay, Knight. Take your time,” Ingram whispered.

After a few minutes, Roxi moved to sit upright, still shying away from any physical contact. Ingram had one of the nearby scribes grab a can of purified water for Roxi, who accepted it and chugged the contents. Her color slowly returned with the building of her strength. 

“Did they hurt you?” I asked, looking her over for any visible injuries.

“No,” Roxi shook her head and closed her eyes again. “They didn’t touch me.” 

“What was it like?” Asked Ingram, attempting to push Roxi into recovery. 

She opened her eyes and looked directly into Ingram’s, “ _ Immaculate _ .” 

“Do you think you can stand?” I asked, offering her my hand. “The Elder wishes to debrief.” 

Roxi took a long look at my hand before agreeing. She took my power-armored hand, and I helped bring her to stand. I kept a protective hand on her shoulder as we made for the Prydwen. Everyone we passed spared glancing looks over their shoulders, looking at the traumatized Knight being carefully escorted to the ship. Proctor Ingram followed behind, surely giving reproachful looks back to those that stated. I carefully helped Roxi into the vertibird before offering a hand to Ingram as well. 

Once aboard the Prydwen, I led the way to the Elder’s quarters. Ingram stayed behind Roxi, keeping her in the middle and away from any prying eyes. Roxi looked so incredibly frightened that it made my chest tighten and stomach fall. To see her so broken...scared the hell out of me. 

We ascended to the Prydwen’s upper deck- I made to knock on the Elder’s door when I heard Roxi quietly ask for Proctor Ingram’s opinion. 

“Do I look okay? Like my hair doesn’t look like a mad scientist, right?” 

Proctor Ingram cracked a sympathetic smile before having Roxi turn around so that she could fix her hair. Ingram looked to me with an expression that lingered between sadness and pity. I knew my face gave away my worries. Roxi patter her head once Ingram was finished, ensuring that everything was in place. She nodded to me, and I knocked on the door. 

The door swung open and Proctor Quinlin ushered us inside. Elder Maxson sat at his table next to Lancer-Captian Kells. Paladin Brandis and Knight-Captain Cade leaned against the far wall. Proctor Teegan sat backward in a chair by the Elder’s personal computer, beer bottle in hand, while Proctor Quinlin stood behind the Elder with his hands folded behind his back. 

Roxi stepped into the room and met every pair of eyes that stared back at her. She looked like a wild animal that was trapped, eyes darting to everyone as panic started to set in. I stepped out of my power armor once I recognized her look of worry. Carefully, I placed a hand on her shoulder to try and comfort her, to voicelessly let her know that I was here for her and that I would defend her however I could. She looked up to me as if she was ready to cry- lips and hands trembling, cheeks flushed pink.

“Come,” Elder Maxson said as gentle as he could muster. “Sit down with us, we just want to make sure you’re okay, Knight.” 

Roxi nodded, and I led her to the seat across from Maxson. I sat next to her, pouring myself a glass of whiskey. Roxi was looking at the whiskey bottle as if she desperately needed a drink. I poured her a glass as well and set it close to her. She stared at it for a moment before grabbing it and chugging the contents. She set the empty glass down with a heavy sigh.

Proctor Ingram chuckled from the corner, “She’s back.” Which got a few chuckles out of everyone except for Proctor Quinlin and Roxi. 

The Elder straightened himself, “What happened, Knight?” 

Roxi’s eyes shifted in a way that I could tell she recalling her memories- distant and unfixed. “It’s like nothing you’ve ever seen before,” She whispered. Everyone in the room shifted, leaning in towards her so that they could hear. She continued softly, “Clean air. Clean water. Clean rooms. Temperature controlled. Large departments for every category of focus. They’re all... _ healthy _ . And clean. And intelligent.” Her lips were left slightly parted as she took a deep breath. A new emotion flashed in her eyes- fear, maybe? “I watched how they made synths,” The words were hardly inaudible, but a gasp radiated throughout the room. “They’re not metal or even plastic,” Her voice trembled as she spoke. “Not like the ones sent out into the world to fight.” 

“Then what  _ are _ they made of?” Proctor Quinlin scoffed. 

Tears welled in Roxi’s eyes, each syllable becoming more like a gasp, “Synthetic bone. And tissue. And blood. And DNA. Shocked to life with electricity before being sent off for programming.” The tears spilled over, and Roxi looked as if she was going to having a panic attack. 

The room fell silent besides Roxi’s anxious gasps. We all exchanged looks of horror, disgust, and even confusion. The Elder took a deep drink of his whiskey, letting this new information settle before speaking. Proctor Ingram stepped forward and placed a gentle hand on Roxi’s shoulder. 

“It’s worse than we thought,” Maxson muttered. 

Roxi took a sharp inhale, eyes darting back and forth, “Some of the scientists believe that they can even  _ dream _ . They all have different skill sets that the scientists can’t predict. They just...monitor them...and find out what they can do.” 

An outburst of anger came from the officers. Roxi jumped in her seat and tears spilled over. As the outburst became worse, Roxi stood and made for the door. 

“You haven’t been dismissed,  _ Knight _ !” Elder Maxson yelled. 

She whipped around with a heated glare, “ _ I’m _ not going to sit in here and listen to you all _screaming_. My nerves are  _ shot _ , Elder. I can’t handle this discussion any longer.” 

Maxson regarded her for a long moment before nodding once and waving his hand, “Go. Get some rest. We’ll continue this conversation when you have your wits about you.” 

Roxi spun on her heel and left, slamming the door behind her. A silence fell over the officers as we all shared the same look of concern. Elder Maxson led us into an open discussion on the details Roxi had presented tonight to debate our next move. The conversation lasted for another hour before the meeting was adjourned until Roxi was ready to provide more information. 

I donned my power armor and left the Elder’s quarters to search the ship for Roxi. She was not in bed, nor the workshop. I dropped my power armor off at a work station before continuing my search. She wasn’t drinking in the underbelly of the ship. I checked the upper catwalk, but she was nowhere to be found. I dropped to the lower levels of the ship but found nothing. I stepped out onto the flight deck and relief flooded my body. She was standing on the catwalk near an empty vertibird dock, staring out at the water, arms crossed and white hair blowing in the wind. 

“Roxi,” I said calmly, “Are you alright?”

There was a long pause she answered, “No.” 

My blood ran cold. I gradually approached her from behind, nervous about her close proximity to the edge of the catwalk, “What’s on your mind?” 

“I’m living a nightmare that I can’t wake up from,” Her voice hitched- she was crying. “I can’t take any more bad news,” She whispered. 

“What do you mean? What else happened?” 

“My entire existence- the only reason I hadn’t just blown my brains out living in this fucked up world- was Shaun. I thought...this whole time…” She trailed off and lowered her head.

“Roxi? What happened?” 

No reply. 

“Roxi?” 

Suddenly, Roxi stepped from the catwalk. 

I lundged forward, “ _ Roxi _ ,  _ no _ !”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was written and edited to the following: 
> 
> Obedear- Purity Ring  
> Iron- Woodkid  
> Collapse- Vancouver Sleep Clinic


	34. Chapter 34

#  **Roxi**

Weightlessness. 

Followed by a sudden jolting stop.

The sound of boots being dragged across the gridded metal catwalk. 

I opened my eyes and stared at the catwalk’s edge. I was sitting on the floor between Danse’s legs. Danse had me wrapped tight in his arms, sobbing into my shoulder. 

I had tried to jump. 

I was still alive. 

I felt numb to it all. 

“ _ Why _ , Roxi? What did they  _ do  _ to you?” Danse said through his sobs.

I had a pin-prickling feeling through my entire body as if my nerve endings were restarting. As if my brain was trying to remember what it was like to feel again. All of a sudden, several emotions ran through me, turning my blood cold. Anger. Guilt. Disbelief. Shame. Relief. Disappointment. Overwhelmed, I began to cry. 

“Please, Roxi.  _ Why _ ?” Danse pleaded. 

“I...I want to be off base,” I managed to say through my tears. “I just...I need…” 

Danse stood, pulling me up with him, “Let’s go.” 

Once off of the Prydwen, we walked to the abandoned Fort Strong in silence. Danse kept a very close eye on me the entire journey. I’m sure he would never let me leave his sight again after trying to fling myself from the Prydwen. We found a place to sit and look out upon the black water. 

“You scared the  _ hell  _ out of me, Roxi,” Danse chastised. 

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, using the waves to hold my gaze instead of meeting his eyes. 

“What happened at the Institute?” 

I shut my eyes tight and took a deep breath, holding it for a few seconds, “Where do you want me to start?” 

“From the moment you left until the moment you came back to base.” 

“Alright,” I sighed.

****

  
  


I collapsed onto my hands and knees. My head was spinning, and my stomach was wrenching. It took all of my strength to keep from vomiting onto the floor. The blinding light from the Signal Interceptor almost burnt my retinas and I could still see streaks of blue in my vision while my eyes were squeezed shut. Wherever I was, it was cool and quiet. I was no longer at the Boston Airport. This could be purgatory, for all I know. This could be a trap. 

I took a steadying breath and opened my eyes. I was in a chamber surrounded by lights and sensors. There was an open threshold in front of me, leading into a dimly lit lobby. I found the strength to stand, wobbly at first, but nevertheless determined. With another look around the chamber, I knew that this was my only exit- I had no other options. 

I willed myself forward into the lobby, keeping a hand on my pistol just in case. The equipment here looked...old and untouched. If this was truly the Insitute, my first impression and expectations were very bleak for the rest of the facility. The feeling of being watched sent a chill down my spine. I looked around my surroundings as a precautionary sweep, finding no one.

“Hello.” 

The voice made me jump. It was an older man’s voice, calm but yet direct. I snapped my head around and tried to find the source of the voice before realizing it was over the loudspeakers. 

“I wondered if you might make it here,” The disembodied voice continued. “You’re quite resourceful.”

I didn’t know whether to reply or not, so I stood still, my heart pounding in my chest. 

“I am known as Father; the Institute is under my guidance. I know why you’re here,” There was a long pause. “I’d like to discuss things with you, face-to-face. Please, come forth and step into the elevator.” 

There was a slight moment of hesitation where I didn’t know what to do. It was silly of me, knowing that I would have to continue forward if I ever wanted to find answers, find Shaun, and leave this place. I took a steadying breath and continued down the hall, finding a short flight of stairs that led me to the round glass elevator. The door was open, waiting for me. I stepped inside the elevator- the glass door closed automatically, and the elevator began its smooth descent into darkness.

“I can only imagine what you’ve heard...what you think of us,” The man continued, sounding rather melancholy. “I’d like to show you that you may have...the wrong impression.” 

The smallest crack of light started at the bottom rim of the glass elevator. With each centimeter, more and more light began to fill the elevator as it passed through the darkened tunnel into the open. Then, all at once, the facility came into view. I gasped- the elevator was placed in the center of the massive circular grand hall with multiple bridges on each floor to connect the outer circle to the elevator’s glass shaft. I turned around, trying to catch every glimpse possible around me. 

“Welcome to the Insitute.” The voice of Father said, rather proudly. He took a long pause as if giving me time to comprehend what I was witnessing. “ _ This _ is the reality of the Insitute. This place- these people- the work we do. For over a hundred years we dedicated ourselves to humanity’s survival. Decades of research, countless experiments, and trials. A  _ shared  _ vision of how science can help shape the future. It has never been easy. And our actions are often misinterpreted by those above ground.” The elevator passed through what I had believed was the main floor, and entered another dark tunnel. “Someday, perhaps, we can show them what we’ve accomplished. But for now, we must remain underground.” 

The elevator came to a stop, and the doors opened. I stepped out into the bare hallway. I began to follow the hallway to yet another elevator with open doors. I stepped inside- the doors automatically shut, and the elevator began to lift upward. 

“There’s too much at stake here to risk it all. As you’ve seen things above are... _ unstable _ . I’d like to talk to you about what  _ we  _ can do, for everyone. But that can wait. You are here for a specific, very personal reason. You are here for your nephew.” 

The elevator arrived at the next floor. The doors opened, and I stepped into a room with a glass room in the corner...a glass cage. And inside that glass cage...was Shaun. My heart began to pound, and my hands began to shake. It’s Shaun. It’s  _ really _ him. After all this time…

I stepped slowly toward the glass cage. He was on display like a zoo animal. This glass cage contained all of the elements of a bedroom. Shaun was sitting on the floor, tinkering with something. He turned at looked at me, his expression was rather perplexed. I wasn’t expecting him to recognize me...or even know me...but the look on his face still hurt me somehow. 

“Shaun?” I whispered, my throat tightening as I held back the flood of emotions that coursed through me. 

“Who...are you?” Shaun looked at me, squinting his eyes and even pulling away from the glass. He stood up and turned to face me. “How do you know my name?” 

“Shaun…” I sniffed, tears brimming, and took a step forward. “I’m your Aunt Roxi.” 

The poor kid looked terrified, “Father!” He screamed, and it was like a punch in the gut. His father was dead. “Father! Help me! There’s someone here! Help me!” 

I started to step backward, tears running down my cheeks. I was upset, and shocked, and angry. How dare someone steal him and then have this child call them  _ father _ . After all this time, Shaun didn’t know. He didn’t know I was coming for him.  _ They  _ never told him. I bumped into the wall behind me and used it as support as my nerves got the best of me. 

Just then, a door next to the glass cage opened, and in stepped an older man. He took a single look at me before turning his attention to Shaun. 

The older man clasped his hands behind his back, “Shaun. S9-23 recall code...Cirrus.” 

At the man’s words, Shaun went limp where he stood.  _ It was a fucking synth _ . I slip down the wall until I was sitting on the floor, staring at the synth child. It was a lie. All of it. 

“Fascinating...but disappointing,” The older man said as he turned his attention to me. His voice was familiar. “The child’s responses were not at all what I was anticipating.” It was the voice from the loudspeaker. This man was Father. “He’s a prototype, I’m sure you understand. We’re only just now beginning to explore the effects of extreme emotional stimuli.” 

“It was just a synth...this whole time,” I whispered, looking up to the old man, tears still silently rolling down my cheeks. 

“Please try to keep an open mind. I recognize that you are emotional and that your journey here has been fraught with challenges.” He paced over to me and offered a hand up, “Let’s start anew.” I stared at his hand for a long moment before accepting it and made to stand. Once on my feet, I met the man’s eyes. “I am Father. Welcome to the Institute, Roxi.” 

I stared at him, trying to suppress the rage I had building up inside. Calmly, and clearly, I arranged my words to get my point across. “I’m going to ask you more politely than I did Kellogg. Where is Shaun?” 

The old man’s mouth twitched, “You have traveled very far, and suffered a great deal, to find your nephew. Well, your tenacity and dedication have been rewarded. It’s me...I am Shaun. I am...your nephew.” 

This...was Shaun. Shaun...was…

Shaun is Father...the leader of the Institute. The leader of...my enemy. 

I took a step back and looked at him up and down. He looked like my own father at that age, almost sounded like him as well. He looked like Nate. Except for the eyes- they were most definitely from Nora. This man before me...was most definitely from my family’s bloodline. Things started to click in my head. 

“In the vault, after they took you...how many years was I re-frozen?” 

“Sixty,” He said cooly. 

I nodded and looked towards the synth child, “And here I thought it was ten.” 

“Let us continue this conversation upstairs,” Shaun said with a small smile. “And I promise to answer any questions you might have.” 

I regarded him for a moment before nodding, “Alright.” 

Shaun led us to a balcony that overlooked the grand hall. Everything was immaculate. The walls and floors were clean and white. The glass windows looking out to the grand hall were intact and spotless. It was like a dream from the past. The air was clean and temperature controlled. Clean water ran through the main floor’s waterfalls and underneath the glass floor. Green trees grew from their potted positions near the water feature. These surroundings felt like culture shock, but yet uncomfortably familiar. Shaun pulled a chair out from a small table and offered for me to sit. He sat adjacent to me, looking around the grand hall with satisfaction.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Shaun asked softly. 

“It’s...unbelievable.” I turned my attention away from the architecture, “Before I was re-frozen, Kellogg turned to Nora and called her the ‘backup.’ When I faced him at Fort Hagen, he called me an ‘uncounted variable’ and an ‘outlier.’ I wasn’t supposed to live, was I?” 

“No,” Shaun answered. 

“Then why am I here?” 

He sighed, “I was taken from the vault because the Institute needed untouched DNA for their future projects. By that point, radiation had crept into the cells of every living creature on this Earth. But, they came across Vault 111, and an infant-  _ me _ , and it was just what they needed. From what I am told, my father wasn’t supposed to die...but Kellogg...could be difficult. So, naturally, my mother would be the closest family relative in case they needed her. In case something happened to me. One day, we received a report from the vault computer system that my mother had, unfortunately, perished. Her cryopod...it never-” 

“-it never refroze. She was trapped,” I finished. “The tubing connecting to her pod malfunctioned. The extra liquid nitrogen was pumped into my pod instead. It turned my hair white, and it saved me from the same fate the rest of the vault residents shared.” 

Shaun nodded, “It was several years after becoming the Institute’s leader that my curiosity peaked. I wondered if, by chance, that I had another close relative. So I looked into the Vault-Tec archives that the Institute had managed to scrape up. Long and behold, I found you- a paternal aunt. I had to convince the board that releasing you from the vault would prove beneficial, you see. So I had to do more research into you and found quite an impressive resume. Valedictorian of your high school graduating class. Top ten in your class at CIT. A Bachelor’s degree in Nuclear Sciences, and  _ just  _ cut short of a Doctorate for Advanced Systems when the bombs dropped. With this newfound information, your existence became invaluable to us.” 

“If my life was so invaluable, why didn’t you send them to come to get me?” I raised my voice, anger boiling over, “Why did I have to go on a wild murderous goose chase after a  _ synth  _ I thought was my ten-year-old nephew? Why have your synths tried to  _ kill  _ me in the process? Not to mention Kellogg!” 

Shaun raised his hands in front of him, like coaxing a wild animal to be calm, “We had many reasons. We needed to ensure that your heart, mind, and drive, would lead you here on your own. We wanted you to see what the world is like, before showing you the way that we can help the world. And we wanted to see how resilient, strong, and capable you were. We wanted to put your intelligence to the test.” 

“So, I’m an experiment.” 

“Truthfully, experiments are all we know. The Scientific Method, as you know quite well. Following these trials on an unknowing subject...and the results have proven to be remarkable.” 

I let out a heavy exhale, “So now what? You obviously don’t need rescuing from some mad scientists. What do you want with me?” 

Shaun let out a very short and low chuckle, “You see, those of us here have mostly only known the Institute. Some of us are very interested in your perspective of science and robotics from your training with a pre-war academy.” 

“If you want me to work on synths, I’m going to let that expectation drop right now.” 

“Has the Brotherhood instilled this disinterest in synths? Or is this something you’ve come to learn on your own?” 

“I just don’t see the point. You could have easily used your resources to improve life above ground. But instead, you chose to ignore the issues in the world and work on perfecting robotics to the point of human capabilities.” 

“In time, I hope you come to understand our reasoning,” He returned softly. “Come, let me show you around.” 

Shaun led the way to the spiral staircase outside of his quarters. We passed several older model synths- the ones that were fully plastic with unmoving faces and robotic voices. We also passed several Institute personnel all wearing their white tunics with a colored badging that indicted what department they belonged. All of the humans greeted Father with kindness and respect while sending me dirty side glances. I looked like a complete outsider- jeans, leather jacket, black tanktop, army boots, and weapons strapped to each thigh. 

We began the tour of the Institute on the main floor, starting in the small cafe and working our way around the circle. The first major introduction was Allie Filmore, who was the Institute’s Chief Engineer. She was sweet and genuinely welcomed me to the Insitute. She praised the hardships I had overcome and seemed excited to pick my brain in the field of engineering.

Our next stop was the Synth Retention Bureau- or as I deemed it, the Home of the Coursers. I met Justin Ayo, a cocky bastard that glared at me for our entire meeting. Once Father had completed our proper introductions and gave me a rundown about the department, Dr. Ayo had his turn to speak.

“Our Coursers are relentless. I’d like to know how you defeated one,” the doctor glared at me with an awful amount of anger. 

I glared back, keeping my hand on my belt to keep it off of my pistol. Through gritted teeth, I growled, “Six shots to the back and a slit throat.” 

The doctor straightened himself and looked to Shaun, “We’ll be keeping an eye on here. She seems nothing more than a wild above ground savage if you ask me.” 

“She is our guest, and I suggest that you treat her with as much dignity and respect as those here in the Insitute, Dr. Ayo,” Shaun replied with a rather large amount of conviction. 

“Of course, sir. Apologies.” 

The third stop was the Advanced Systems Department. Shaun introduced me to a few of the workers within the department, but the head doctor was nowhere to be found. Shaun seemed displeased, and turned to a closed office door, opening it without knocking. 

“Ah, there you are, Dr. Li,” Shaun said. 

“So much for privacy,” The doctor returned, sounding none too pleased. 

Shaun waved his hand for me to follow him inside the office, “Doctor I’d like to meet my aunt, Roxi Andrews. Roxi, this is Doctor Madison Li, leader of his division of the Insitute.” 

So this was the infamous Dr. Li Maxson had me headhunting. She looked angry, and her tone with Shaun seemed to be bordering on sarcasm. She didn’t even look in my general direction. I wondered if she knew my position in the Brotherhood. If she did, I’m sure she was already expecting a recruitment proposal from me one day. Before things became hostile, Shaun ended their conversation and lead me out of the department. 

Shaun led us to the Bioscience Divison next. Upon entering, I knew that I had to memorize the layout of this lab- I needed to figure out where Virgil was doing his research. I paid attention to every main and side door, every hallway, and took note of every camera and laser turret along with the ceiling. It was a massive laboratory with bright fluorescent lighting and hundreds of planter boxes that were organized and labeled. It was considerably warmer in this lab, closed behind two sets of double doors. And for fucks sake- they had synth gorilla’s...for  _ fun _ . I barely paid attention to the introductions as I observed the room. I caught sight of a door barred off by a laser grid with a terminal attached to the wall nearby- something told me that it was exactly what I was looking for. 

Our last stop was...disturbing. We walked into the lab, the sound of machinery working was immediate. Two men were arguing in the corner about the possibility that synths could dream or not. If synths had a soul or not. When Shaun stepped aside so I could get a proper look at the lab...my stomach dropped. A large mechanical arm- one end with sharp needles, and the other that acted as a surgical lamp and claw rotated around its axis to three different stations. Each station had a synth in a different stage of production. I watched as a synth was built bone by synthetic bone. I watched as the needled arm sewed together muscle and tendons over the skeleton. I watched the needles stab into the synth body and pump synthetic blood into it before shocking it with electricity. Then the synth was placed in a vat of liquid...and it came alive and walked out of it and into a small chamber marked  _ processing _ . 

****

I shuddered at the memory. In the few minutes that I watched synths be created, I knew that my entire outlook had shifted. These new synths were not full of machinery or plastic. They were full of organs and tissues and muscles created in a lab. 

“Those bastards,” Danse muttered. He was sitting next to me now, an arm around my body to help keep me warm against the cool night breeze. “What else happened? You were gone for quite a long time.” 

“Earlier today I took part in a mission for the Insitute. Shaun paired me with a Courser they call X6-88. We went to Libertalaia to retain a synth that had escaped from the Institute. This synth...his name was Gabriel. He was the leader of a raider gang. We...infiltrated the raider gang’s base. When we got to Gabriel, X6 called out his recall code...and he just went limp. Just like the child synth I thought was Shaun all this time. After that...we reported back to the Institue and reported the successful mission. Gabriel’s body was turned over to the lead scientists that deal with synth processing. And I...packed up my stuff. But...I have to go back. Even though my mind is in turmoil...I have to go back. I didn’t finish what Maxson asked me to do. I don’t know their weakness...or anything other than the names of their departments. So...I have to go back.”

Danse let out a heavy sigh, “Why did you try to jump, Roxi?” 

I took a long moment to respond, feeling that full-body pin-prickling feeling again. “Several reasons, honestly. My entire purpose for coming this far was for Shaun- for my family. But he doesn’t need me. He’s the Institute’s leader. He’s our enemy. I had...hope that I’d rescue my ten-year-old nephew from the clutches of evil and start a life. But...all of that hope...never was meant to be. And now...I’m going to be faced with the decision of who I’m going to have to betray.” 

“Betray?” Danse whispered, shocked. 

I looked into his eyes for the first time since returning to base, “Do I betray my family? Or do I betray the Brotherhood? Because neither will coexist together. And it’s a choice I can’t avoid. I can’t run away from it- both the Brotherhood and the Institute would hunt me down. It’s a choice...that I don’t want to make. I’m overwhelmed...and better off dead.” 

“Roxi... _ no _ . You’re just confused. You’ve seen a lot in the last day, and I think you just need to rest. Please...don’t...make to hasty of a decision.” 

“Danse…” My voice hitched as tears began to build. I leaned into his chest and allowed the tears to flow, “I...don’t want to lose you.” 

Danse placed his hand on my head as I cried, “You’re not losing me. Let’s get you back...you need to rest and decompress. Maybe tomorrow, you’ll be able to think more clearly with a fresh perspective.” 

“Okay…” I sniffled. 

Together, we walked back to base, hand in hand, but in silence. In the shadows before reaching the base, Danse pulled me into his arms and kissed the top of my head. I held tight onto him for a few minutes as I collected myself. Back on board, I went directly to bed, stripping off my jacket and boots as I walked. I flopped down onto the mattress, listening to the muffled drone of the engines until sleep found me. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was written and edited to the following: 
> 
> Collapse- Vancouver Sleep Clinic  
> Obedear- Purity Ring


	35. Chapter 35

#  **Roxi**

I stayed on base for two days before returning to the Institute. Prior to returning, I had to sit through another lecture by Elder Maxson and listen to Danse’s pleas of keeping myself together. I had a mission to accomplish within the walls of the Institute for the Brotherhood. I wasn’t to return until I had Dr. Li and detailed information on the Institute’s inner workings. 

For two weeks, I worked in the different departments of the Institute. I stayed far away from the synth factory, as I called it, unable to tolerate the sight of their creation. Shaun hoped that I would find my niche and put my intelligence to use- to join them and their skewed vision of hope for humanity. He even alluded to the fact that with their training, I would finally achieve the title of Doctor Roxi Andrews. Although I disliked the ideals of the Institute and their insistence on the existence of synths, I did enjoy the mental gymnastics provided by working in such an environment. It was like being back in college- learning, experimenting and innovating every single day. At the end of each day, I flopped onto my bed feeling mentally exhausted, but yet...oddly satisfied with my work. 

I intended to make good on what the Railroad had asked of me in trade for the courser chip’s code. I had made a point to speak with some of the Gen-3 synths that worked in various positions around the Institute. They seemed rather nervous and cautious as if they were trying to watch what information they gave away. I gained the trust of a few of them by offering a hand when the humans turned their backs on what they deemed to be minuscule issues. Although it wasn’t enough trust to reveal their secrets, it was a start. The Gen-3’s offered cheerful salutations when passing in the halls, prompting me to ask them about their day and if they needed anything. It was heartbreakingly sweet to see the surprise and appreciation in their eyes for something so simple and so... _ human _ . The other scientists of the Institue scoffed at my interactions with the Gen-3’s and often made comments loud enough so I could hear. 

One evening, as I was walked to my quarters after a long day working and observing the Bioscience lab, I witnessed a scientist shouting at a synth worker until she was on the brink of tears. The scientist stomped away after threatening to have her shut down and reprogrammed. The synth worker stood with her back against the wall, fists clenched as she tried to hold in her emotions. For a Gen-3 synth to show emotion was a guaranteed one-way ticket to the processing lab for a system reset. 

I approached her slowly, “Are you alright?”

Her eyes snapped to mine, “Yes, ma’am, I’m fine. There is nothing wrong.” 

“What’s your designation?” 

“S9-84,” She answered automatically. 

“How can I help you, S9?” 

S9 blinked with skepticism, followed by relief. The scientist had yelled at her for working too slowly- she was in charge of all inter-department deliveries. It was her duty to retrieve requested items from different departments, package the order, and deliver on time. I checked the schedule of the package for the scientist- Howard E. Deluca, which was only ordered two hours prior and set for delivery for the next day by three o’clock in the afternoon. As this Deluca’s disruption was causing S9 to run almost fifteen minutes behind, I helped prepare her upcoming orders as she ran about with her due deliveries. When she was caught up, I continued to my quarters for the night. 

My good deed, of course, was not to go unpunished. The next day, the board of directors called upon me for a compliant of one Howard E. Deluca who had watched as I offered S9 help. I sat in a chair next to Shaun as Deluca slandered me for offering help to a synth that “obviously needed to be reset and reprogrammed for tardiness.” 

Shaun put his fingertips together and shifted his gaze from Deluca to me, “What happened last night, Roxi?” 

I straightened in my chair and described the scene I had witnessed. “I helped gather S9’s packages for the upcoming deliveries so this man’s outburst wouldn’t disrupt her workflow for the remainder of the night.” 

“And why was that a priority for you?” Shaun asked.

“Because Doctor Deluca here was out of line,” I said with a demeanor of confidence. Several of the directors glanced uncomfortably at one another. “S9, may I see your order sheets from last night to today?” 

S9, who was standing in the corner with a frightened expression, proceeded to give me her clipboard. “Yes, ma’am. Here you are.” 

“Thank you. Now,” I flipped to the page of order times, “Doctor Deluca submitted his order only two hours prior to the incident, as you can see here,” I passed around the order sheet for the board to examine. “And it wasn’t set to be delivered until about three hours from now,” I passed around the delivery schedule for the board. “So, Doctor Deluca, it seems to me that you  _ forgot _ to submit your order and you decided that it would be easier to just blame the middleman.” 

Deluca’s nostrils flared as he glared at me from the opposite side of the table. “You had no business meddling with this synths job!” 

“It became my business when I  _ watched _ you abuse Insitute property.” 

“ _ Abuse-! _ ” 

“Yes, abuse, you heard me correctly. I don’t understand why you think it necessary to involve such emotion when communicating with a synth. Would you yell at a Sentrybot, Doctor? I don’t see the point in that. Or is it because synths are so human-like that you just want to  _ feel  _ some sort of power over them?” 

“We have all witnessed you helping the synths!” 

“Of course. If it helps speed up the process and therefore helps the Institute be more efficient, then why not?” I turned to the board of directors with a sarcastic smile, “Other than the fact that you find their tasks too minuscule for you to accomplish because you’re  _ so _ much better than that.” I immediately dropped the fake smile and returned to a rather cold expression. “I’m here to work and learn, and I don’t think I’ve heard one complaint about my operations here. Or am I wrong?” 

The board looked to one another but had no comment. 

“So if I, in my spare time, pick up a few little tasks, then what’s the harm? Verses your approach to the situation and putting S9 up against the wall while screaming for several minutes over something that is ultimately  _ your fault _ , wasting precious time, and causing a delay in this synth’s task. Personally, if it were me you had up against a wall and screaming at, I would’ve slugged you. But I guess that’s just how we handle pricks like you above ground.” 

“Alright, you two. I’ve heard enough,” Shaun said cooly. “This synth is not going to be reset. S9-84, you may return to your duties at once. Dr. Deluca, your delivery will be made when it is scheduled. This was an unnecessary waste of a complaint, doctor, I do hope you see this.” 

Deluca stormed from the room, leaving me with the rest of the directors. They all shifted uncomfortably in their seats as Deluca left. Shaun looked down at his hands for a long moment before looking at me. 

“Did you have to say you would have slugged him?” 

I let out a laugh, breaking the tension with the rest of the board. 

For the Brotherhood, I had to keep working on some type of relationship with Dr. Madison Li. She was tightlipped and seemed to be constantly irritated. My first shift with her department, I only saw her once when she advised me to keep my hands off of the equipment to avoid breaking anything. After a few shifts, she started to ignore me just as much as she ignored the rest of her department- which was somehow an upgrade. Finally, one day in my second week of working, I had a question that only Dr. Li could answer. I stepped into her office and asked the question with a mix of curiosity and confidence. 

She barely looked up from her computer, “I thought you were smart.” 

“Depends on who you ask, I suppose.” 

Her eyes finally met mine, “Well the Brotherhood must think your promising. Or they would have never sent you here.” 

“I’m more on the side of believing that they sent me because it made the most sense, not because I’m intelligent.” 

A slight smirk pulled at the corner of her lips, “Must be nice being the aunt of the Institute’s leader.” 

I shrugged, “I think the only privilege it granted me was not being shot on site when I arrived.” 

She regarded me for a second before returning her attention to her computer, “I’m surprised the Brotherhood didn’t order my assassination.” 

“They didn’t order an assassination. But they did ask me to convince you to return.” 

Her eyes shot up, “And why on Earth would I leave the most technologically superior institution to come crawling back to the Brotherhood?” 

I shrugged, “Beats me. We all want the best for ourselves. We all want to be happy. If this place makes you happy and fulfills your need for technology, then there is no argument.” 

The doctor was silent for a long moment, “I see. As for your question, I’ll handle it once I’m finished here.” 

Friday afternoon of my second week, Shaun and I were playing chess on the balcony of his quarters. We were tied at two wins, and the winner of this game would be the victor. I stared down at the board, looking at the only two options I had left. 

“So, Aunt Roxi,” Shaun said, breaking my concentration. “What do you think of the Institute now that you have had more time here?”

I took a deep breath, “This place is...unlike anything I’ve seen. I just…nevermind.” 

“No, please. Speak your mind.” 

“I just wish you were using your technology for other means. To help those above ground with the basic necessities.” 

“We cannot do charity work for the masses,” Shaun said calmly. “I understand your concerns. But we must be several steps ahead of the radioactive world.” 

I nodded, although unsatisfied, “Of course.” 

“I would like to discuss the future of Insitute...your future, Aunt Roxi.” 

“And what might that be?” I made my decision and played my next move on the chessboard. 

“Our synths need to take the next step at becoming...the best hope for humanity. We’ve...tried this program before, but it was unsuccessful. And our creation of the synth child has not met expectations. So we must move forward with radical measures.” 

“I’m not following,” I squinted my eyes at him. 

“What is one thing that humans can do, that synths cannot?” Shaun examined the chessboard now for his next move.

“What?” I scoffed, “Like...reproduce?” 

“Exactly,” Shaun made his next move before making eye contact with me. “I’m hoping that you can help lead us into the Gen-4 synths. We once explored this program before without success. The male synth reproductive system was the easiest to create. However, the female system is much more complicated and requires a delicate balance. We were never able to recreate the human reproductive system within a female synth.” 

“And...the males? Are they…?”

“No. We did not release our male synths with the ability to reproduce. Since the females were otherwise unable to reproduce, we abandoned the project entirely. We have, however, kept records of all the male DNA that are required to make the necessary components.” 

I rolled my eyes, “And what kind of child would a synth even create? A synth is based on robotics it can’t just... _ produce _ another robot.” 

“You are correct, it would not produce another robot. It would produce a child of flesh and blood, created by DNA that is resistant to the aliments of the above-ground world. Resistance to radiation, disease...those sorts of things. The Gen-4 synths would create the new human race.” 

I stared at Shaun in shock and whispered, “That’s impossible.” 

“No, not impossible. It is possible with enough diligence in experiments and research. We are already so close to it now.” 

I looked down at the chessboard, clearly seeing my next move- the move to win the game. “I think you’re crossing a line, Shaun.” 

“A line is only drawn by those who don’t want to see past it. Aunt Roxi, I need you to understand that science cannot be halted. It will only progress further, and it is our duty to make sure it progresses in a way to serve mankind. My time on this Earth rapidly coming to its end. I need to ensure that you can take my place as leader of the Institute.” 

I stared at my nephew, processing all that he has told me. “You’re dying?” 

“Regrettably so. We have tried several treatments, but with no success. It is good that you found us when you did, Aunt Roxi. A few months later, and you would have been too late.” 

“You...want me as your successor?” 

“Yes, I do. It would be best if we kept our family line of DNA as the leader of the Insitute for our upcoming projects. I’m sure you will need some time to make that decision, but please, I must urge you to make it within a reasonable amount of time.” 

I stared at the chessboard. The move was so obvious to me, and I was surprised Shaun allowed it to happen. I made my move on the chessboard, “Checkmate.” 

“Congratulations on the victory, Aunt Roxi.” 

I packed my belongings late that night. I dressed in my clothes for the above-ground world. I made the bed and folded my tunic, placing it on the foot of the bed. With a look around the quarters, I turned off the light and shut the door. My decision to Shaun’s request would come with an abandoned room in the morning. The thought of the Gen-4 synths was too much. It was time to return to the Brotherhood. 

I had a few things left on my to-do list. I had a note for S9- it was the location of the Railroad safe house that I once helped Deacon by being a rooftop sniper for his escort team. I found her near the requisition depot and handed the note over by shaking her hand. My next order of business was this holotape for Proctor Ingram- I popped it into a terminal near the main stairwell and allowed the program to run. 

As the holotape went to work, I set off for the Bioscience lab. I had taken many mental notes about this lab in particular. I was able to hack the cameras and laser turrets inside the lab with a terminal in the storage area. Once hacked, I entered the main lab and hacked another terminal that granted me access to a closed-off facility. Inside the lab were different specimens of super mutants suspended in a green liquid, and I knew that this was Virgil’s old lab. I found his last dose of FEV cure and stored it safely away in my backpack. Along with the vial, I found a holotape of his confession. I brought it along with me just in case Virgil wanted it. 

I restored all of the security measures and left the department. On my way back to retrieve Ingram's holotape, I stopped outside of Dr. Li’s department. Something told me to try one last time at recruiting her. With a deep breath, I proceeded into her department. I found her sitting at her desk, typing on her computer. Her eyes shifted up to me. 

“You’re up late,” She mused. 

“I’m leaving.” 

“For good?” 

“Yes. I found out today about their plans for the next generation of synth. I cannot stay if this is the expectation for the future.” 

“The next generation? Well, you know more than I do.” 

“They’re going to have them reproduce.” 

Dr. Li’s face twisted in disgust; she crossed her arms and stared down at her desk. “This place...is not what I thought it would be. What is the Brotherhood planning?” 

“I don’t know, doctor. I wish I could tell you more. But...I agree with the Brotherhood more than I agree with the Insitute. I think you should reconsider, too.” 

She sighed, “I have been. Ever since Dr. Virgil died, something just never sat right with me.” 

“Virgil isn’t dead,” I said, her eyes snapped to mine. “He’s the reason I figured out how to get here. Here,” I pulled out the holotape I found on Virgil’s desk, “I found this in his lab.” I handed the holotape over to Dr. Li with a nod, “I have to go. I would appreciate it if you don’t raise the alarm about my leaving.” 

“I didn’t see a thing,” She nodded and popped the holotape into the computer. “Expect to see me above ground.” 

I nodded with a small smile and turned to leave the office. I had regained the services of Doctor Madison Li for the Brotherhood of Steel. 

When I returned to the terminal that I had left the holotape- the process was complete. I ejected it from the computer and stored it in my backpack. I made my way to the elevator, and into the teleportation room. With three clicks of my Pip-boy, I left the Institute. Within a minute, I was back at the base of the Brotherhood. I took a deep breath, steadying myself. I was betraying the only family I had left. 

Onboard the Prydwen, I knocked on Danse’s door. It took a few moments for him to shuffle out of bed. He opened his door, looking dazed, and his hair a mess. He blinked against the light from the hallway, focusing on me. 

“Roxi!” He threw his arms around me and pulled me into his quarters, shutting the door. “I’ve been worried sick about you!” 

I let out a laugh- the first real laugh in several weeks, “ _ Hi _ .” 

“Are you back for good? What happened? Are you hurt? What did you learn? Oh, nevermind, just come here,” Danse pulled me closer and kissed me with intensity. 

For now, I was glad to be back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was written and edited to the following: 
> 
> Sleep- My Chemical Romance  
> Dangerous- Shinedown  
> Last Day on Earth- Green Day


	36. Chapter 36 (NSFW)

#  **Roxi**

It was hot in the Paladin’s quarters and smelled of sweat and lust. Our clothes were tossed about the room carelessly from the shared impatience to touch one another. The faint squeaks of the metal bed frame underneath of us were drowned out by the Prydwen’s motors humming. The only light in the room was the green ambiance from my PipBoy sitting on the desk. 

The excitement of our taboo did something to both of us. We were eager to please each other, but nervous to be caught. We were passionate but in a new and exciting way. We couldn’t scream or moan aloud, or surely someone would catch us. We connected physically, locking eyes and touching sensitive skin in the way we remembered each other desired. 

Danse tightened his grip on my hips, panting through his teeth to keep himself from outwardly moaning. I rolled my hips slowly, allowing myself to feel every inch of his cock inside me, and let out a quiet pleased sigh. I ran my fingertips down the ripples of his muscles before gently moving my hands up my torso and squeezing my tits. Danse bucked underneath of me, a telltale sign that he was getting close to his limit. I rocked against him, circling my hips as I picked up the rhythm, and returned my hands to his chest for balance.

Danse rested his hands on my thighs, permitting me to continue edging him closer to release. I could see it on his face- his eyes rolled back and eyelids fluttered, jaw slacked. I felt his cock twitch inside me, followed by his deep grunt. The warmth of his come spread through me- both the thought and the sensation of his orgasm led me into my own. 

I lowered myself to lie on Danse’s chest, completely spent. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed my forehead. 

“I love you,” Danse whispered. 

It still surprised me and raised butterflies in my stomach when Danse said those three words. “I love you, too,” I smiled at him in the green glow of my PipBoy. 

He cleaned his throat, “I’m pleased that you chose the Brotherhood over the Institute. I know it was a difficult decision for you.” 

“They sealed their own fate,” I whispered. “Any decision that keeps you in my life is well worth it.” 

He let out a hum of approval, “I was afraid you were changing. You seemed so...distant- like you were slipping away from me.” There was a sadness in his voice that broke my heart. 

“I’m sorry, Danse,” I said softly. “I am... _ so _ sorry that I put you through this. I promise you I’m here to stay.” 

He tightened his grip around me, “Good. I...truly don’t know what I’d do if I lost you.” 

I slipped out of Danse’s quarters around three in the morning and tiptoed my way up to my assigned bed. I changed my clothes and put away my belongings before crawling into bed facedown so I could curl up with my pillow. My pillow was a poor excuse compared to cuddling up with Danse for the night, but it would have to do. Exhaustion took over, and I fell asleep within minutes listening to the power-armored knights walking around on duty and the ever-present hum of the engines. 

At 0900 hours, Elder Maxson called me to a debriefing for the results of my Institute infiltration. It was like deja vu, all of the same people sitting or standing in the same places as last time. I sat in the same chair as I did when I first returned from the Institute, this time much more confident and mentally stable. I presented a detailed report of the Institute with an estimation of their numbers and resources. I handed over the holotape of data that was downloaded from the mainframe before I left. Elder Maxson was most pleased with my report of Dr. Madison Li’s proposed return to the Brotherhood. 

I couldn’t help but catch a few of Danse’s expressions during the debriefing. For the most part, he looked relieved- the last time I was surrounded in the Elder’s quarters I was in the midst of completely shutting down mentally. He looked proud- the way he always does when I address my senior officers with confidence. He also appeared to be a little tired, possibly from stress the last few weeks, but probably more from our secret late-night together in his quarters. 

Elder Maxson handed the holotape over to Proctor Quinlin, “Decode this and report your findings immediately. Proctor Ingram, I believe it’s time we let Knight Andrews in on our little project down at the airport.” He turned his eyes upon me once again, “I think you’ll enjoy this project, Knight. Congratulations on your successful mission. You’re dismissed. Ad Victorim.”

Proctor Ingram sent a smirk in my general direction before everyone stood, saluted, and left the Elder’s quarters. Danse and I met Proctor Ingram in the hall- she looked rather pleased but also very tired. 

“Well, well, Knight. Glad to have you back full time,” Ingram mused. 

“Glad to be above ground,” I smirked. “So, what’s this  _ secret  _ project?” 

“I think you’re going to love it. Follow me,” She waved her power-armored hand and led the way to the ladder. 

As I stepped onto the flight deck, I looked down at the airport and found a new addition to the base- a large gantry had been built on the tarmac. I raised an eyebrow to the metal structure knowing whatever the Brotherhood had up their sleeves was massive. 

We left the Prydwen and headed to the largest garage bay. The door was shut and guarded by a password requiring terminal. Ingram typed in the password but held off on entering it. She looked down at me with a smirk. 

“Maxson and Kells have been looking for something that’ll tip the balance when we go toe to toe with the Institute. The Prydwen might be a big beast, but she’s not built for fighting. We have a lot of work ahead of us, but I think your expertise will help speed things along,” Ingram’s smirk turned into a half-smile. 

Ingram hit the  _ enter _ button on the terminal’s keyboard. The garage door gave a slight shutter before being lifted upward and rolling back on its track. At first, all I could see was a mess of various disassembled mechanical parts. Ingram and Danse took the first steps into the garage before turning to look at me with equally fervent expressions. I glanced at both of them before stepping further into the garage. 

With one sweeping look around the room, my eyes locked onto a gigantic robotic helmet. My jaw dropped in awe. My brother told me about this robot. I had seen pictures of it in a textbook in my sophomore year of college. No one really thought it was real, or even usable. It was almost like a myth. 

I let out a laugh, mostly in disbelief, “Is that...Liberty Prime?” 

“It is,” Ingram chuckled. “Or I should say, what’s left of him.” 

“The Brotherhood used it in the Capital Wasteland as a weapon against the Encalve,” Danse said with pride. “It was a sight to see, and it ensured our overwhelming victory.” 

Ingram nodded, “It’s the most advanced robot the Brotherhood has ever had at its disposal. Unfortunately, it was destroyed in the line of duty. I’ve spent the better part of the last few years picking him back together. This won’t be an easy task. Are you ready to get your hands back into robotics?” 

I gleamed at the Proctor, “You know I am!” 

“That’s what I like to hear. Let’s get you suited up for wielding. Hopefully, Dr. Li will keep her word about coming back. She worked on Prime before, and her knowledge will help us immensely when it comes time to start working on his computer programing.” 

I put on my protective clothing and welding helmet and dived headfirst into the project. This was now my assignment, twelve hours on daylight until advised otherwise. The team of scribes I was paired with was just as dedicated and excited to be working on this project as Ingram. Some of them had seen Liberty Prime in action during the battle against the Encalve, while the rest would be seeing it for the first time.

We worked tirelessly through our shift, only stopping for our lunch break. At the end of the day, I was drenched in sweat and covered in grease. As I walked through the airport to the showers, the word of Dr. Li’s return spread through the base like wildfire. She had been escorted to see Elder Maxson immediately. I knew that after working for the Institute and becoming a turncoat would reward her several hours of interrogation. I felt sorry for her in a way, but she was an intelligent woman who knew the Brotherhood well- she probably expected such treatment. 

I showered and dressed before heading up to the Prydwen. My first stop was the mess hall to make myself some soup for dinner. Once I obtained my noodles, I headed to my bed and dug out some of my robotics textbooks to review. I sipped on my broth and flipped through the books, looking for information that could help us with Prime. Nothing seemed sufficient enough for this level of robotics, but anything that hinted at an inkling of good directions I folded the page corner down to return to later. I let out a sigh, wishing that I had looted what was left of the CIT library until no book was left overturned. 

“Does that brain of yours ever stop?” 

I looked up to find Scribe Haylen leaning against the chair in front of me. I laughed, “No, not really.” 

“Did you hear? Dr. Li is back.” 

“I heard. Nothing stays a secret around here, does it?” 

“Not many” Haylen smirked. “Glad to see you back on board, Andrews. We were all getting pretty nervous that you switched teams.” 

I smirked and nodded, “I’m here to stay.” 

“Good.” She lowered her voice, “Danse would be devastated if you left. He cares an awful lot about you.” 

I felt myself blush. Unable to come up with a quirky response, I ran my tongue over my molars with an airy laugh. 

Haylen winked, “Secret’s safe with me.” 

“Thanks, girl. I knew I could count on you.” 

For the following two weeks, the Liberty Prime team worked incessantly- one team on dayshift, one team on the nightshift. We were now under the watchful eye of Dr. Li as well as Proctor Ingram. We had Prime in the gantry, wielding his final pieces together. Next up was working on powering up his system, rebooting his programing, and loading him with ammo. 

Danse had been assigned to a short term retrieval team during these two weeks. He and a selected group of knights and scribes ventured out to local hospitals to rip out te high-powered magnets from MRI machines. I was put in charge of a small team of scribes to build electromagnetic actuators for Prime’s limbs- and to build those I needed four high powered magnets. Danse led four successful retrieval missions without a single injury to his teammates and delivered the magnets in one piece, to Ingram’s massive relief. His team’s deliveries were the only time I was able to even catch a glimpse of him. However, when it came time to venture out into the Glowing Sea for Prime’s nuclear bombs, Danse’s team wanted to back out. 

At the end of my shift, I found Danse standing with Proctor Ingram and Dr. Li on the control platform for Prime. I slowly approached the group as they deliberated on something quietly. Danse was the first to spot me; he waved me over. 

“Knight,” Ingram said in a pleasant tone. “We have a question for you.” 

“Oh boy,” I laughed nervously. 

“It seems that Danse’s team isn’t too keen on going into the Glowing Sea to help track down Prime’s nukes.” 

“Couldn’t imagine why,” I muttered. “Where does that leave us?” 

The group looked to one another before Ingram answered, “Would you be willing to go back into the Glowing Sea with Paladin Danse? This is something that cannot be bypassed for Prime’s operations.” 

I looked to Danse and nodded, “Of course. We’ve done it before, we can do it again.” 

“Perfect,” Ingram nodded. “I’ll let the Elder know that the issue has been resolved. Pack up and get ready, you guys are leaving tomorrow.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was written and edited to the following:
> 
> Welcome to Detroit- Eminem ft. Trick Trick  
> Fireshrine- Purity Ring  
> Get it- BnW


	37. Chapter 37 (NSFW)

#  **Roxi**

Danse and I packed up our belongings after our discussion with Proctor Ingram. I opted for a hazmat suit instead of my power armor. The decision was met with a scowl and a lecture about my safety from Paladin Danse. I made the decision based on the fact that Ingram and Dr. Li were experimenting with fusion cores to run Liberty Prime, and they needed as many at their disposal as possible. Danse lost the debate, letting out a heavy sigh and reluctantly agreed.

It was almost pathetic how excited I was to head out into the Glowing Sea again. I wasn’t excited for the radiation, or the desolate landscape, or the angry mutant creatures that hated everything that moved. It was the fact that Danse and I mapped out our route specifically to stay in the hidden bunker we found during our first voyage. We would finally be alone again, even if it was only for a short amount of time. 

Our main target was a military installation in the south of the Glowing Sea that was used as a nuclear weapons storage facility before the Great War. The first point of contact was Scribe Haylen’s communication team- they were utilizing the small cul-de-sac neighborhood that we once used as a Squire training camp. The neighborhood was close enough to the Glowing Sea without risking exposure to radiation while still being in radio contact range to the Prydwen. 

Haylen was waiting for us in the center of the cul-de-sac. A canvas tent was set up to protect the majority of their equipment from the elements. She smiled as we approached and put down the clipboard she was holding. 

“Knight Andrews has come a long way since she stumbled into the Cambridge police station, hasn’t she, Paladin?” Haylen said in greeting.

“And to think Rhys doubted me,” He said it so dryly it almost didn’t sound like a joke, but it was the hint of a smirk that gave it away. “Have you spoken to Rhys recently?” 

“Not much, sir. I’ve been juggled around from detail to detail, but Rhys remains at the Police Station. When I do get the chance to see him, he has his hands full, and doesn’t leave much room for talking.” 

“Ah, I see. What do you have for us, Haylen?” 

“A distress pulser, Paladin. It will emit a particular frequency that we’ll be listening for. Once activated, we’ll send out a team of vertibirds to your location and start loading those nukes. Do you have the approximate location from Proctor Quinlin?” 

“Affirmative,” Danse nodded. 

“Then without further ado,” Haylen turned to pick up the distress pulser and handed it to me. “Here you are. Good luck to you both, and be safe. Ad Victorim,” She saluted, and we returned. 

I secured the distress pulser in my bag and we were on our way. About a half-mile out from the border, I pulled up the hood of the hazmat suit and secured my belongings. Danse checked me over to make sure I was sealed tight in my suit before heading into the Glowing Sea. With one final supply check, we stepped over the border into the most inhabitable area of the Commonwealth.

  
  


By the day’s end, we made it to the broken down little shack that hid away our secret bunker. It was a relief that it was still standing and that the bunker remained undisturbed since the last time Danse and I had taken residence. 

I stripped out of the hazmat suit and boots before heading deeper into the bunker. Danse had gone ahead to sweep the area and ensure that the Institute didn’t fill the place with synths again. I was overheated after wearing both the hazmat suit with my fatigues underneath and quickly stripped away the clothing until I was left in my pants and sports bra. The cool air blowing through the air vents felt amazing as I walked into the main chamber of the bunker. 

I found the Paladin on the lowest level, hanging up his power armor in one of the two stations. I took a seat on one of the desks to watch him work. Danse glanced in my general direction before returning his attention to his power armor. An expression of sudden realization crossed his face, and he looked back at me with surprise. He abandoned his power armor to stand before me, a smirk playing on his lips as his eyes traveled my exposed skin. 

“Paladin,” I smirked. 

“ _Knight_ ,” He returned. 

“Can I ask a favor?” I asked as I reached out to touch his torso, feeling his abs under his clothing.

“And what might that be?” 

I kept my eyes downward and took a deep breath, “Can _we_...make a slight detour tomorrow?” 

Realization quickly came to him, “Please tell me this isn’t about that mutant’s cure.” 

I shrugged my shoulders and looked bashfully up to him, “Well... _yeah_.” 

“ _Roxi_ -” 

“ _-Please_ , Danse? It will clear my conscience. He helped me, it’s only fair that I uphold my end of the bargain.” 

He let out an exasperated sigh and dropped his head.

“I promise, Danse. If I can get this in the past then, that’s that, and I wash my hands of it. This will be my last act of insubordination. I swear. _Please_.” 

“Hmph,” Danse grunted amusingly. He brought his eyes to meet mine after several moments of contemplation, “No, it won’t.” 

My heart stopped and a short nervous laugh escaped me. I felt the heat rise to my face. He was right. My reputation wasn’t exactly pristine when it came to following orders. Even during our first mission together at ArcJet, I didn’t follow his orders correctly. He asked for no heroics, and yet I ran out from cover, risking being fired by an engine that was about to test fire, to save his life. But...hearing him doubt my intentions... _stung_ , and I had no excuses. 

Danse placed his thumb under my chin and brought my eyes to his, “I know it won’t be your last act of insubordination.” He drew his lips to my ear and growled, “Because I fully intend on taking you upstairs to strip you out of these clothes and fucking you until you can’t stand.” 

The air left my lungs while a quiver shot through my entire body. The feeling of self-doubt and guilt melted away immediately. My sex throbbed hard with want. I let out an excited giggle before collecting myself. “So…” I managed to choke out, “Is that a yes?” 

Danse chuckled, “It’s a…. _reluctant_ agreement. But if it’s going to make you happy...I will do everything to achieve that goal.” 

I kissed him swiftly, “Thank you, Danse. Now...about you taking me upstairs…?” 

Without another word, Danse picked me up from the desk as if I weighed nothing. He carried me upstairs to the bedroom we had chosen to be ours and placed me on the bed. He knelt in front of me, pulling off the rest of my clothing while kissing each inch of newly exposed skin. I closed my eyes as he began kissing his way up my other leg. 

He nuzzled his way between my thighs, gently taking the tip of his tongue and running it along my folds until he reached my clit. I let out a moan; Danse chuckled before continuing his slow pleasurable torment. His two fingers entered me- he pushed deep inside me and slowly pulled them out a few times before settling on the sensitive spot. He rubbed against that wonderful sensitive spot and worked my clit with his tongue until I was trembling and gasping. As the pleasure built up, I lost the ability to cry out. I felt all of my muscles tighten, my toes curled, and I grasped tightly onto the blankets beneath me. Then- suddenly- my climax hit and I screamed out in pleasure. Danse slowed himself and withdrew his fingers. I gasped for air, staring up at him like a God. 

Danse stripped off his clothes before repositioning me to my hands and knees- my absolute favorite way for him to fuck me. I arched my back and brought my torso flat against the bed, ready and willing to accept him even as I still felt aftershocks from my orgasm. He placed one hand securely on my hip and used the other one to guide his cock to my entrance.

“ _Fuck_ ,” Danse groaned as he slowly slid himself fully inside. He pulled himself back until he was just at the edge, and eased his way back in. “Do you like it when I fuck you this way?” 

“ _Yes_ ,” I moaned. 

He pushed himself deep inside, “Yes, _what_?” 

“Yes, _sir_ ,” I cried out with want.

“Good girl.” 

He immediately picked up the rhythm and tightened his grip on my hips so I couldn’t fall away. I cried out, surrendering completely to him. After a few hard thrusts, my legs felt weak. Danse took notice and wrapped an arm around my hips to hold me in place, not once breaking his cadence. I felt another orgasm building- my walls tightened around Danse’s cock causing him to groan. His thrusts became harder, and I couldn’t hold on any longer. My orgasm exploded, making my entire body go numb. Danse grunted- his cock twitched as he poured his come inside of me. 

Slowly, Danse withdrew from me and flopped down onto the bed. Without his arms holding me up, I collapsed. I turned my head to look at him, finding that he was staring at me with love in his eyes. We both let out a little laugh. I found the strength to crawl to him, pillowing my head against his shoulder. I felt the fatigue quickly set in, and closed my eyes, listening to Danse’s breathing. 

“Roxi, I’ve been thinking,” Danse said, bringing me out of my nap. 

“Hmm?” I opened my eyes and let out a yawn. 

“I’ve been thinking a lot about us...about _after_ we’ve faced the Institute.” 

“That’s very unlike you, Danse. You’re starting to sound like me,” I chuckled. 

He let out a low hum of amusement, “You’re right, I do sound like you.” He kissed the top of my head before continuing, “Regardless. I know you don’t want to stay with the Brotherhood. So...if everything goes well, meaning we both survive the attack on the Institute, I...I’m going to retire.” 

I sat up and looked him in the eye, “What? Danse...the Brotherhood is your family, your life. I don’t want you to throw that away.” 

“The Brotherhood has been my family and my way of life for a long time now. I never thought there would be room in my life for anything other than being a Brotherhood soldier. But...you’ve changed that. I want _more_ than the Brotherhood. I want to settle down and have a family of my own...with you. What do you think?” 

Tears began to well in my eyes, “I would love that, Danse.” 

“I can’t make anything official until we’re done with the Institute,” Danse brushed back my hair and rested his hand against my cheek. “I just...wanted you to know that you don’t have to decide on leaving me behind because of the Brotherhood. How does that make you feel?” 

“Like the happiest girl in the world,” I smiled wide enough to hurt my cheeks as two tears fell from my eyes. 

Danse smiled, “Good. Come here,” He wrapped his arms and pulled me down to lie on top of him. I laughed as he did so, feeling as if the weight of the world was taken off of my shoulders. He stroked my hair with his fingertips, “Do you remember when I found you at the Dugout Inn?” 

I giggled, “Of course. I was so nervous.” 

“And you broke up that fight in the middle of the bar,” He chuckled. “I was so infatuated that I didn’t know how to act around you.” 

“‘Infatuated,’ huh? Is that your way of saying I turned you on?” I looked up at him through my lashes, trying to hide my smirk. 

His small smile turned into a guilty grin, “You know me too well.” 

Early the next morning we set out for Virgil’s cave. We made sure to avoid the Children of Atom at the crater and arrived at the cave entrance before noon. Danse stood at the entrance- he may have allowed me to return here with the cure, but he still didn’t like Virgil or the fact that I saved this cure from the Institute. 

“Doctor Virgil?” I called out into the cave to alert him to my presence. “Doctor Virgil, are you still here?”

“Is that you, the Institute hunter?” The growling mutated voice of Doctor Virgil returned. 

I stepped into the main room of the cave, finding Virgil by one of his workbenches, “Alive and well.” 

“Did you get in? Did you find the serum?” 

I pulled off my backpack and rummaged around until I found the box containing the syringe, “Just as ordered, doc. One mysterious serum from your old lab,” I handed the box over. 

Virgil carefully opened the box. His eyes widened at the sight of the syringe, “This is it! You did it! I can’t believe it.” 

“Thank you for your help in getting into the Institute,” I nodded.

“What did you think of it?” 

“It was...beautiful. But it wasn’t right for me.” 

“They let you go?” He asked skeptically. 

“No. I left.”

“Hmph. They’ll be hunting you down, too.”

“I wouldn’t doubt it.” 

I left Virgil with a cheerful goodbye and a promise that I would attempt to return after the serum was to take effect. Danse was happy that I didn’t take more than a few minutes out of our day to mingle with the mutant scientist. We started back on our trail towards our target location. 

About an hour later, something caught my eye just slightly off course in the green-hued landscape. It looked like twisted metal, much like the rest of the destruction amongst the rubble of the Glowing Sea. It wasn’t until we got closer that I realized it was a downed aircraft. 

“Danse, can we check this out real quick?” 

The Paladin looked at the aircraft and nodded. 

I approached the downed airplane, examining it for markings. It was a white plane with red markings. Its nose was ripped off along with one wing and a majority of its underbelly. One wing was still attached to the front half of the plane. Some of its debris looked to be scattered about its crash path. As I moved around to the intact side, I stopped in my tracks. The paint underneath the pilot’s window was unmistakable: _Skylanes 1665_. 

_“When are mom and dad getting here? They’re on Flight 1665, right?”_

_“Tomorrow around noon as long as traffic in town isn’t too terrible. And yes, 1665.”_

My stomach dropped and the world around me felt as if it was spinning. This was their plane. I found their resting place.

“Oh, no,” I whispered. 

“What’s wrong?” Danse asked as he approached me. 

“This was the plane my family was on when the bomb hit.” I looked over the wreckage in disbelief. “I...figured they didn’t survive. But...having it confirmed...puts things into perspective.” 

“Would you like to rummage through? Maybe you could find some of their belongings to take back with you.” 

I tried to smile, but tears were building up in my eyes. “No, thank you. I...just want this to be left alone. Nothing I find in there will bring them back or change what happens.” 

I followed closely behind Danse for the rest of the trip. I felt a heaviness in my chest. I almost regretted not going through the plane. But, I was right. Nothing on the plane was going to replace my family. Nothing in that plane was going to bring back my old life. I didn’t want to find dead bodies that were scorched by the nuke. I didn’t want to find feral ghouls of my loved ones. It wasn’t like I was going to suddenly turn around and find my mom, alive and well, standing by the plane and waving to me. Or find my dad in overalls with a trucker hat on looking unamused. Or be ambushed and roughed up by my brothers. The only thing I could hope for is that there was a better place after this life.

We reached the Sentinel Site late in the afternoon. It was a large and ominous looking pyramid, something that I didn’t even know existed in my backyard. The place was surrounded by an almost moat-like creek of irradiated water that attracted an entire hive of bloatflies. 

Danse took point, crossing the threshold into the facility. I followed behind with a great deal of apprehension, listening to the buzzer going off inside and echoing off of the walls. As soon as I came into view of the area, I felt a cold chill shoot down my spine. I took off the helmet of my hazmat suit and tucked it under my arm.

“It appears that this facility is _more_ than a bomb disposal site,” Danse said, looking around the great room. “It’s been converted into a launching silo as well.” 

“That’s horrifying,” I said, looking up at the ceiling where the launch silos led. “To have been so close to this and never of even known.” I could feel Danse’s gaze on me, but I did not want to look at him. I knew he could tell I was living in the past again during that moment, seeing the bright flash of nuclear detonation all over again. I didn’t want to hear it, “Down we go then?” 

“Affirmative,” He replied, low and half-heartedly. I knew he wanted to say more, to help me through my flashback, but I denied him the proper chance. 

Danse led on through the catwalks, descending further and further into the black pit of the Sentinel Site. The buzzer repeatedly going off every second was proving to become very annoying, very quickly. We reached the bottom floor, where I was able to use a terminal to force stop the launch code, silencing that goddamn siren. As soon as the blaring noise stopped, Danse and I both heard the sound of shuffling footsteps. 

Ghouls. 

We opened the blast door and proceed cautiously forward. Finally, a feral caught our scent and started to look around for its enemy. Danse shot it square in the chest, killing it instantly. The sound of the shot alerted the other ghouls in the area; they popped out of the dark, running towards us with horrible shrieks. I downed one, Danse got another. Two more ran towards us, they died. Three more rushed towards us- Danse took one, I took the other, and then we both landed shots on the third. I was glad we fought so well together, after all of our battles and still standing strong, back to back against the world. I didn’t want anyone else to fight beside.

Danse took point again as we entered the underground tunnels. We encountered a few mole rat pests and several more ghouls. But onwards and victorious we pushed until we reached the double metal doors to the armory.

“There has to be a terminal to get these doors open…” I said, looking around the hall. The only terminal in the room was completely blown to bits. 

“This door should lead us to a security office,” Danse offered. 

I approached him, “You would think all of these doors and tunnels would slow down response time during a nuclear attack. But I mean, I guess it didn’t pan out too well in the end after all, huh?” 

“You have such an interesting mind track, do you know that?” He smirked. 

“Interesting? Or do you mean...disturbingly dark?” I teased. 

“Both,” he chuckled and opened the security door, “Ladies first.” 

“Such the gentleman,” I smirked at him before crossing the threshold. 

Past the door was a long, concrete hallway that led to a small flight of stairs and another metal door. Approaching the second door, I could hear a turret humming, and a man's faint voice singing some sort of incantation. I eyed Danse for a second, as he heard the sounds as well. With a great deal of caution, I opened the metal door. 

The man inside the security office was resting on his knees in the middle of the office, humming. He was unmistakably a Child of Atom. When the door opened, his eyes snapped to us. “You trespass on Atom’s Holy Ground!” He stood, “State your purpose here.” 

“We’ve come to...assist in Atom’s work,” I said, trying to match the tone the man used when he spoke of Atom. 

“Assist on Atom’s work? Do you mock the Great Creator?”

“We are here- on a mission, to collect Atom’s relics. He has said unto us to bring forth the beginning of the Great Divide. He sent us here, to Atom’s Holy Ground, in search of his glory.” I could feel Danse’s eyes on me, or at least feel his eyes rolling in my direction.

The man’s eyes widened, rimmed with tears, “By Atom. Forgive me! Prepare to enter Atom’s Holy Sanctum!” 

“Thank you,” I bowed to the Child of Atom. “If you see Mother Isolde, please tell her Roxi of the Brotherhood sends her regards.” 

He bowed back, comforted with the mention of Mother Isolde, “I shall.” 

I bowed again to the Child of Atom before quickly leaving the security room. I practically ran down the hallway and didn’t stop until I was near the tunnel. Danse shut the door behind him, then turned and gave me a look. It was a look that said, “ _I don’t know how or why, but you did it._ ” I busted out laughing, and Danse did, too. I laughed until I had tears streaming down my cheeks. It took a minute or two to compose myself again, meeting with the Paladin at the double metal doors. 

“How did you do that? How did you know _what_ to say? You sounded just like them,” Danse mused.

“I remembered how the Children talked at the crater. I also had a priest back when I was in middle school that talked the same way.” I smiled at Danse, who smiled back at me and shook his head with disbelief. 

“Go ahead and set up the distress pulser. We made it to the motherlode.” 

I did as I was told. My Pip-Boy clicked slightly as I slowly followed the Paladin deeper into the nuclear arsenal. _Holy shit_ \- rows and rows of nukes stacked from floor to ceiling. Danse turned and looked at me with a softened expression. He was no longer looking at me as his commanding officer, but as his friend, his lover. I went to him, drawn by those brown eyes of his and that devilish smirk. 

“Did you set the pulser?” He asked, taking my hand in his metal one. 

“Yes,” I smiled. 

“Good,” He said, his expression hardening back to his Paladin self. “They will be here shortly to collect you.”

_Wait, what?_ “Collect me? What do you mean, Danse?” 

“My orders are to stay here until every bomb is counted, tested, and loaded.” His expression slowly faded back to being soft and loving. It was as if he was delivering news he didn’t want to share, “Maxson wants you back at the Prydwen to help work on Prime. They’re sending a vertibird to our location for your transport back to base.”

“But...I...That’s a little _unnecessary_ , don’t you think?” My heart was sinking. I didn’t want to leave Danse’s side. I didn’t want him to be alone here. I didn’t want to be alone at the Prydwen. I had tears welling in my eyes that I didn’t want Danse to see, but I know he saw them. 

“Orders are orders,” He said apologetically. “Please don’t cry, Roxi. We both know we cannot let our relationship come between our work. It just wouldn’t be right. Just a little while longer and we’ll have all the time in the world together.” 

“I’m sorry, Danse,” My tears spilled over and my voice strained. “If we were anywhere else but the middle of the Glowing Sea, I think I would handle this better.” 

“Everything will be fine,” he tried to assure me, but it didn’t work. 

“I don’t want to lose you…how much time do we have?” 

With this, Danse let go of my hand and stepped out of his power armor. I immediately rushed into his arms, tears still flowing. He placed his hand under my chin and lifted my head. 

“Enough,” He whispered, answering my question. 

Danse brought his lips down onto mine, rough and aggressive. I felt myself go limp in his arms, surrendering myself to him completely. Off came my radiation suit. Off came his Brotherhood fatigues. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pushed me against the nearest concrete pillar. I moaned and ran my fingers through his hair as he kissed me hard again. He pinned me tight against the wall; I brought my legs up around his hips and he held them in place. Within the same swift motion, he was inside me, and I gasped with pleasure. I showered his face and neck with kisses, grasping his thick black hair in my hands, panting as he fucked me. I called out his name, and he swore under his breath. With a few hard thrusts, he came inside of me, panting and sweating. I moaned and kissed his lips. 

My vertibird arrived about twenty minutes later. My chest still ached as I walked away from the Paladin, trying not to look back as he watched me leave. I still found myself quivering from our wonderful disobedience as I ascended topside on the elevator. Never have we had sex while on site of a mission, and if Elder Maxson ever found out, we would be brought up on charges. But there was an extra added excitement in the act that neither of us could deny. We both knew that this time was a particularly different circumstance, and we would be careful to never let it happen again.

The elevator came to a stop; I made sure my hazmat helmet was completely sealed before exiting the facility. Outside, waiting, was my escort. A Brotherhood soldier stepped down from the vertibird in full power armor.

“Knight Andrews, we are to take you directly back to base,” Said a familiar voice. 

“Paladin Brandis?” I asked, squinting at the helmet with surprise. 

“You got it, kiddo,” He sounded truly thrilled. “Ready to go?” 

“Ready,” I nodded and climbed aboard the vertibird. 

Inside, the two pilots and the mini-gun wielding scribe all wore hazmat suits. I sat down on the backbench. Paladin Brandis took his guard beside me. The vertibird gave a violent shake before lifting off. 

“Paladin Brandis?” I called up to him over the noise of rushing air and the engines. 

He looked down, “Yes, Knight?” 

“Did they place you back on active duty?” 

“I’m not fully cleared. They gave me this little gaunt to see how well I perform. Easy enough job, I guess.” 

“It is definitely a step in the right direction, sir!” 

We were docked on the Prydwen almost two hours later. Within ten minutes of arriving back at base, I was stripped out of my hazmat suit and showered. I dressed in clean Brotherhood fatigues and ran a brush through my hair before making my way directly to Proctor Ingram and Liberty Prime. At least being on base would keep me busy, and keep my mind from worrying every second that Danse was gone. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Fact: The Sentinel Site part was the very first chapter I wrote in my rough draft for this story. It was originally planned that this would be Roxi and Danse's first kiss. BUT obviously things have drastically changed. 
> 
> This chapter was written and edited to the following:  
> I Could Be The One- Avicii VS Nicky Romero  
> Lemon- N.E.R.D. & Rihanna  
> Dangerous- Left Boy  
> Call on Me- Eric Prydz  
> Obedear- Purity Ring


	38. Chapter 38

#  **Roxi**

I couldn’t help but look for Danse around the base- partly out of habit, partly because it didn’t feel right to be without him. It was odd not to have him by my side when walking the grounds. I made my way to the Prime build team and found Proctor Ingram standing on the control platform. I saluted her as I approached, which she returned. 

Ingram smirked, “Welcome back, Knight. Sounds like you had a successful mission.” 

“Yes ma’am,” I tried to smile. “Proctor, would you happen to know how long the bomb retrieval might take?” 

“Ah,” She laughed, “You miss Paladin Danse that much, huh?” It was said as a joke, but I could feel my face flush to a deep red within seconds. Ingram raised a curious eyebrow, and with her expression, I knew that she had just confirmed everyone’s assumptions about the Paladin and his favorite Knight. “Hmmm, I see,” She said with a chuckle. “They expect it to take a day or two. So we have plenty of time to get Prime ready for his first function test.” 

Ingram directed me on what to do with Prime. I followed my orders without question and with promptness. Anything to get me away from that smug look she took on since I, without saying a single word, exposed my affair with Elder Maxson’s most trusted Paladin. 

_Fuck_ , I kept thinking to myself,  _Is she going to report us?_ Ingram could be tough, but she genuinely liked Danse. I would even go as far as to say that she liked me as well. I had to keep pushing the anxiety out of every thought and focus on the task I was given. 

When my shift was up, I was replaced by a different scribe. I caught her up on the progress I made with Prime’s computer and high-tailed it to the Prydwen. I passed both the Command Deck and Elder Maxson’s quarters without being stopped for questioning, which meant Ingram hadn't turned me in yet. My eyes lingered on Danse’s closed door for a few seconds, feeling an ache in my chest, before I moved along upstairs.

I ate dinner and then got myself ready for bed. I tossed and turned, too wired to fall asleep. I listened to the same pattern of sounds between the footsteps of the guards and the humming of the engines. I even tried counting down from one hundred, but nothing seemed to keep my eyes closed for more than ten minutes.

The only thing that calmed me down enough to sleep was day-dreaming about Danse and I living together away from the Brotherhood. We had our own farm with two kids, four dogs, and plentiful livestock. We grew razorgrain, corn, and tatos. We often traveled to the Diamond City Market to trade. The thought lulled me to sleep. 

The next morning, I dressed in my fatigues and headed to the mess hall for breakfast. I ended up sitting with Paladin Brandis as we ate our food. He seemed to have a new sense of relief after being off of the Prydwen for his first test of action. Once finished with breakfast, I was off to work on Prime again. 

Ingram gave me a new assignment and went to work immediately. I didn’t allow anything to distract me from my duties, pushing all other thoughts from my mind. Before I knew it, the sun was starting to set, and my shift was coming to an end. I finished my assignment and started to clean up the mess I had made, even polishing the steel of Prime’s head. 

It was then, that the faintest sound of vertibird engines sent a chill down my spine. I turned around, facing the southwest toward the noise, leaning on the railing in front of me. All fifteen vertibirds were flying towards the airport in a perfect V formation. Finally, they were returning. On the ground, several Knights and Scribes started to head toward the old parking garage across the street. It was there that the bombs were to be stored, under a twenty-four-hour maximum guard. 

I peeked down at the command platform to find Proctor Ingram looking up at me with an amused expression. I knew, no matter how badly I wanted to, I would have to keep my distance from Danse. I didn’t need anyone else raising eyebrows at us; especially this close to taking on the Institute. 

I left the top platform and tried to keep myself from being distracted by the vertibirds circling the airport, awaiting their turn to deliver their payload. As I started the walk back to the Airport, I heard Proctor Ingram whistle and call my name. I stopped and turned immediately; she waved for me to join her and Doctor Li by the control board. With each step I took toward her, the more anxious I felt.

Ingram smiled as I stepped onto the platform, “Well, Knight. The bombs are being delivered, ahead of schedule, and Prime is ready for his first test.” 

I smiled, “Very exciting times, Proctor.” 

“It’s a little early to be celebrating,” Doctor Li mused. “We need to run Prime’s functions test before getting our hopes up. I’m just hoping that all the work I’ve done to keep his systems stable is going to hold.” 

“Well…There’s only one way to find out,” I said, trying to sound optimistic instead of nervous. 

“All the readouts look green,” Doctor Li said, scanning all of the controls and computing systems on the platform. “Proctor, I do believe it is a good time to perform the power shunt.” 

“Thank you, Doctor. But...I think I’m going to let _Roxi_ here push the button. After all, without your help, we’d still be staring at a pile of disassembled parts.” 

I felt my heart quicken with excitement, “Wow, _really_? Thank you, Proctor!” 

Doctor Li made a little hum of disapproval, “I would recommend a trained technician to perform that task, but...Roxi has proven herself helpful, and intelligent. I suppose we owe you this much.” 

I took a few steps closer to the control panel, to which Proctor Ingram pointed out each button and explained their use. The only one I needed to worry about for tonight was the great big red one right in the middle. I looked out to the tarmac before me. The scribes working on Prime had stepped out to watch the power shunt- their eyes were eagerly on the three of us at the controls. Dr. Li gave me the final go-ahead, and I pushed the button. All of the scribes turned their attention to Prime. 

Within a few seconds, steam was being released from Prime's torso. His lights turned on one by one, starting closest to his feet and working their way up to his eyes. 

“Liberty Prime... back online!” The robot’s signature voice boomed into the night. 

“Alright,” Ingram sighed nervously, “Let’s run a basic diagnostic test on him.” She clicked a few buttons, typed in a code, and hit send. 

“Diagnostic command: Accepted!” Boomed the robot.

Prime’s arms started to move, stiff and slow at first. His wrists turned his hands over a few times before his arms lowered again. It flexed its fingers and made a fist then released; one hand, and then the other. 

“Give him a moment,” Doctor Li warned, “He needs to adjust to his new configuration.” 

“Voice module...online!”Prime announced. “Audio functionality test...initialized. Designation...Liberty Prime Mark II. Mission: The liberation of Anchorage, Alaska. Primary targets...Any and all Chinese Red Invaders!” 

“Now I’m going to run a system readiness and battle readiness check,” Proctor Ingram stated without any disagreement from the Doctor. 

Prime was working through his arm movements again, this time faster and smoother. “Liberty Prime! Full system analysis. All systems...nominal. Weapons...hot! Warning! Nuclear weapon payload depleted! Reload required. Warning! Power core...offline. Running on external power only. Core restart...recommended. Ability to repel Red Chinese Invaders...compromised!” 

“I have green lights across the board,” Ingram stated, relieved. I turned to face her, “Well, I have to admit it, I wasn’t sure if we were going to pull it off, but Liberty Prime’s looking pretty good.” 

“I can’t believe it. I’m excited to see him in action,” I said, looking at Prime as he continued to work through his motions. 

“Can I talk to you a second, Roxi?” Ingram said quietly, “Off the record.” 

I looked at her, terrified, “Of course, Proctor.” 

I followed Ingram off of the control platform and back towards the Airport storage facility. No one was around, and it was dimly lit. Anyone who would have witnessed us walking in here would just assume that we were looking for parts for Prime. She leaned herself against the far back wall and crossed her arms. I could see that smug look on her face. 

“I want to talk to you about Danse,” She said quietly. 

I took a deep breath and released it, “Okay.”

“Look, I like you. And I have a lot of respect for Danse, he’s a good man and a great Paladin. But, with that being said, everyone already has suspicions that you and Danse are closer than just friends. Even Elder Maxson has remarked on the relationship between the two of you. He has considered, in the past, to separate you from him. Maxson came to me about this because he wanted _me_ to take over Danse’s sponsorship if it came down to it. The Elder thinks that you have a great skill set that would help benefit my department aboard the Prydwen. Ultimately, he decided to keep you guys paired up, because you both do such great work for the Brotherhood together. So, I’m going to give you a little word of advice: Just keep up the good work, and keep your personal lives off base. I think you’ll be fine. Oh, and I’m not going to report you. This is off the record, and if it was anyone else besides you and Danse, they’d be on report.” 

I felt like I wanted to cry, “Thank you, Proctor.” 

“You’re welcome. Now get up to the Prydwen and we’ll get back to work on Prime tomorrow.” 

I left Proctor Ingram and started to head for the vertibird to be lifted to the Prydwen. Despite my best interest, I could not stop myself from looking toward the parking garage. I _knew_ he was there, overseeing the bomb storage. I couldn’t keep myself away and snuck through the storage depot and around the barricade that held Prime’s workstation. I made my way to the parking garage as the sun dipped into the horizon, casting the last purple and pink rays across the tarmac. The two power armor and minigun clad Knights saluted me as I entered the garage. 

Danse wasn’t hard to find, they were working on the third floor, his commanding voice booming through the garage. I found a concrete pillar to lean against until the Paladin noticed me. It took several minutes before he turned around and realized I was watching him. He smirked and gave a slight wave, signaling to give him a moment. When the soldiers finished a row of nukes, they returned upstairs to bring more down. Danse stole away for that moment and walked over to me. 

“Paladin,” I smirked. 

“Knight,” He eyed me from head to toe with a devilish look in his eye. 

“I see you’ve all come back in one piece,” I smirked. “No one blew up anything.” 

Danse smirked, “A successful mission, it seems.” 

I smiled up at him, feeling a sudden rush of butterflies in my stomach, “When are you getting off?” 

He shrugged, “I’m working a double. One of the younger scribes started to feel ill after being in the Glowing Sea. We suspect there may have been a slight leak in his hazmat suit. So I’m stepping in to cover his shift.” 

“Oh, that sucks,” I sighed. 

“Are you off duty?” 

“I am,” I nodded. “I’ve been on the robot build team since getting back.” 

The Paladin smirked, “Of course. Maxson wouldn’t want to waste your talents.” 

I rolled my eyes and bit my bottom lip. “Danse, Proctor Ingram knows about us,” I said quietly. 

He sighed heavily, “What did she say to you?”

“She said that if it was anyone else she would have them on report.” 

“Then...maybe it would be best if you get out of here. Get some rest, Roxi.” 

"Goodnight, Paladin."

"Goodnight, Knight," Danse nodded and turned to return to work.

I went to bed that night with a sense of relief. Proctor Ingram was going to keep my relationship with Danse a secret. Danse was safely back on base. Prime was up and almost completely ready. Things were going well. I was happy with my decision to stay with the Brotherhood instead of staying with the Institute. I fell asleep with ease with a sense of satisfaction.

My dream started as a quiet day at the Base. Prime was awaiting his last modifications and power reset. Danse was walking around with me, inspecting the giant robot. We left the airport and went aboard the Prydwen, to which we sat in his quarters and talked. But suddenly, there was a lot of incoherent yelling. Danse and I jumped up and rushed down to the flight deck. There was fighting on the grounds of the airport- Institute Synths against Brotherhood soldiers; flashes of red and blue beams of light from each respective sides energy weapons. That’s when I noticed that there were Institute scientists on Prime, overriding his system. 

Prime’s head turned towards the Prydwen, “Updated tactical assessment! Red Chinese presence detected. Aerial incursion by Communist forces cannot succeed. Initiating Directive seven-three-nine-five: Destroy all Communists!” 

A red beam shot out from Liberty Prime’s eyes towards the Prydwen, causing an explosion. The ship became to fall to the Earth-

_Thump!_

I fell out of bed, waking me up. Two power armor-clad Knights stood over me. They had flipped my mattress over, and I with it. Each Knight grabbed one of my arms and hoisted me to my feet; they held my arms behind my back and strapped on handcuffs. At first, I thought I was still dreaming and quickly came around to what was happening. I tried to protest, or at least get an answer to why I was being put under arrest. 

“Quiet!” The one Knight demanded, “Elder Maxson requests your presence immediately.”

“And I have to be taken as a prisoner?” 

“It’s his orders, now _move!_ ” 

I was pushed forward, almost causing me to trip and fall. The ruckus had woken everyone up- they stared at me in shock as I was escorted out. Where was Danse? He wouldn't stand for this, I’m sure. 

I had to figure out a way to climb down to the command deck, the Knights not offering any assistance, with my hands tightly chained together. I did not succeed and instead fell from about halfway down the ladder onto the floor. Pain shot through my body the moment I connected with the ground. The Knight that had descended before me grabbed my elbow and pulled me up to my feet, pushing me forward into the command room with enough force that I fell again. Elder Maxson stepped toward me, his boots stopping an inch from my face. The two Knights yanked me to my feet again so I could face the Elder. 

“Is there anything you wish to tell me, Knight?” Elder Maxson growled as he looked down at me, rage in his eyes, nostrils flaring. 

“No, sir. I have nothing to hide,” I said confidently.

“Hmph. We’ll see about that. Proctor Quinlan completed the decryption of the data you retrieved from the Institute. A portion of his findings included a list of synths that went missing or escaped from their underground facility.” He took a long pause, gauging my expression. “Paladin Danse is a perfect match for one of the synths on that list.” 

“ _What?!_ ” My stomach dropped. My heart stopped. I felt tears welling in my eyes. I couldn’t breathe. The room felt like it was closing in around me. Everything started to spin. 

“Release her,” Maxson said to the two Knights. They did as they were told and released me from the handcuffs. 

“This can’t...he...he can’t be…” I ripped my fingers through my hair. “There has to be some sort of _mistake_!” 

“There _is_ no mistake. The data you brought back included of each subject’s DNA. We keep the same information on file of all of our soldiers. Paladin Danse’s DNA is a perfect match for a synth they called M7-97. To make matters worse, Danse has gone AWOL.” 

"Maybe this is a set up from the Institute?" I offered desperately. "They've been watching me for a long time. They know who I've-" _choose your words carefully,_ "-spent the most time with." 

Elder Maxson raised an eyebrow. "His DNA is a perfect match, Knight. How would they have gotten that information?" 

"They could have hacked the Brotherhood's mainframe. They're the most technologically advanced collaboration besides us!" 

"Our mainframe is safe," He growled. 

"Elder, I could hack this ship's mainframe with my Pip-boy," The words came out without a single thought, and I immediately regretted it. My face felt hot with embarrassment.

"Knight I'm going to ignore that comment," Maxson growled. "You are in denial. I want you to understand the blatant truth: Danse is a synth, which makes him an enemy to the Brotherhood of Steel." 

I dropped my eyes from his. My entire body slumped forward in defeat. _Danse was a synth. Maxson won't let me prove otherwise._ "Oh my God," I said as the words were finally taking root. I ran my fingers through my hair and balled my hands into fists. 

Maxson continued, a little softer than before, “You, being the person he was closest with, should feel the most betrayed. After all that he taught you, showed you, and preached...and he turns out to be what the Brotherhood despises the most. And we cannot make exceptions, not even for one of our own. Which leaves me facing the most difficult order I’ve ever given. I’m ordering you to hunt down Danse, and execute him.” 

Tears rolled down my cheeks. I knew what needed to be done. I knew what would happen if he chose someone else- they would slaughter him without mercy. Someone who wouldn’t think twice about this and show no mercy. It had to be _me_ that found Danse. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to stop my tears. 

“Of course, Elder,” I responded, looking him directly in the eyes. But the words that came out of my mouth made my stomach burn, "He's a traitor. He needs to be destroyed." 

“Good. When you return to the Prydwen, we will discuss this matter further. I also suggest that you speak to Knight-Captain Cade after your arrival, he will be briefed on the issue at hand. For now, speak to Proctor Quinlan to start your mission.” 

“Yes, sir.” 

I went upstairs and got myself dressed, grabbing _Righteous Authority_ and matching ammo. I stared at it for a long moment, remembering the day he gave it to me. I pulled myself from my thoughts, realizing that the soldiers around me still hadn't fallen back to sleep. They were all staring at me. I left the sleeping quarters and moved to the front of the ship to retrieve my power armor.

Before I stepped into my armor, I caught a glimpse of Proctor Ingram standing on the other side of the workshop. She was leaning against one of the toolboxes, watching me prepare. She looked upset, even possibly teary-eyed. We locked eyes- I thought of our conversation earlier that she would keep my secret. I dropped my eyes and stepped into my power armor- I couldn't let my emotions get the best of me. Right now, I had to focus on my plan of action. 

The eyes of the Brotherhood were upon me- all of them gawked as I left. News travels fast on this goddamn ship. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was written and edited to the following: 
> 
> Where's Your Head At- Jean Elan (Klaas Remix)  
> Gone Away- Five Finger Death Punch


	39. Chapter 39

#  **Danse**

I let out an exhausted sigh and stepped out of the garage to take a short break. We were making progress on unloading the nukes, but it was quite a large arsenal. I was just about to step out of my power armor when I heard the crackling of the in-helmet radio. Curious, I slipped the helmet on and waited for the transmission.

“Greenfield to Leader one, come in Leader one.” 

It was Haylen, using our secret call signs we had established in case we had gotten separated during our recon missions. “Leader One. Go ahead, Greenfield.” 

“Oh, thank _God_!” She sounded as if she was out of breath, “I don’t have much time, and neither do you. Quinlin got the records off of that holotape and they have an entire list of known escaped synths. You. Are. On. That. List. You need to leave. _Now._ Do you understand me? _Now_. They’re coming for you _as we speak_.” 

The news hit me like a punch to the stomach. I was...a synth? They were coming for me. _A synth._ They were going to kill me. _I was...a synth_. I had to leave. _I was the enemy._ I had to leave _now_. But... _Roxi_. 

“Greenfield,” I said calmly, even though my head was anything but tranquil. “Make sure White Eagle is safe.” 

“I will. Now, _GO!_ They’re halfway there.” 

I jumped out of my power armor and ran as fast as I could into the cover of night. I needed a safe place to bunker down. The Glowing Sea seemed too obvious of a place to hide- Roxi and I had explored a decent amount of the area and reported all of our findings back to the Brotherhood. The fear of the Glowing Sea was starting to subside through the ranks, although it was still dangerous. I couldn’t go to any of the settlements, the Brotherhood would knock on every door when a traitor was being hunted. There was only one place I could go that I knew I would be safe. A place not even Roxi knew. 

  
****

It only took a few hours before they tracked me down. I heard distant gunshots from the ground level that destroyed the defenses I had activated. A few moments later, the generator for the elevator roared to life. 

I was going to die. I was going to be slaughtered like the traitor I unknowingly have been all these years. I looked down at the pistol I had found down here and considered ending my pathetic artificial life, but deep down I knew I didn’t deserve to die so easily. _A synth...a fucking synth._

The elevator doors opened. Four laser rifle shots rang out, taking down the two protectrons I had activated. It was time for me to face my executioner. I closed my eyes, listening to the heavy footfalls of the power armor suit coming closer. 

I thought of Roxi and how I’d never run my fingers through her white hair again. I would never see her smile or hear her voice again. I would never be able to tell her how sorry I was. She probably hates me. All this time and she believed that I was human. I promised her life away from the Brotherhood, the chance at her own family. I would never be able to give her those things, even if I was never found to be a synth. 

The footsteps entered the room and stopped. I opened my eyes and stared into the helmet of the Brotherhood assassin. I stood and faced the soldier, ready to die. I deserved nothing more than to be slaughtered.

The suit of armor hissed and opened. Out from behind the suit, stepped Roxi- tears streaming down her cheeks. My heart shattered. Of course, Maxson would send her- he was twisted like that. He wouldn’t do the dirty work himself, so he sent the one I was closest too. Anyone but her. _Anyone_ but her. 

Through her tears, she looked angry- disgusted with me. She had every right to feel betrayed. I dropped my eyes from her, feeling the embarrassment rise to my face. I should have just shot myself and saved her the trouble.

Roxi ran to me and threw her arms around my torso, sobbing into my chest. I was taken aback. I stared at her for a long moment before carefully putting my arms around her. Feeling a sense of false relief that faded immediately away. 

“Does Maxson even want me alive?” 

“Fuck him,” She said through her tears. “He wouldn’t even give me a chance to see if it was true or not.” 

“Roxi...I was on the list. I’m a synth.” 

“Did you know?” She whimpered.

“No,” I shook my head, “I didn’t. If it wasn’t for Haylen, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.” 

“The Institute has been watching me for a long time. They knew who I was close with. It could be fake.” 

“Roxi...as much as I want to believe it, it’s a far fetched theory. I’m a synth...a traitor. I need to die for the good of the world. Look,” I stroked her hair back- an action of habit to comfort her, “I’m not blind to the fact that this is difficult for you. I wish Maxson had sent someone else. But that doesn’t change a thing. I’m a synth...which means I need to be destroyed.” 

“ _No_ ,” She whimpered. “I don’t _care_ if you’re a synth. Nothing has changed about you. You’re _still_ Danse. You will _always_ be Danse.” 

“If you disobey your orders, you’re not only betraying Maxson, you’re betraying the Brotherhood of Steel and everything it stands for. I need to be the example, not the exception.” 

She pulled away to look me in the eyes, “You’re not a machine, Danse.” Her voice was barely a whisper, “You’re so much more than that. You’re a fighter who loves with his whole heart. You’re brave and selfless. You would do _anything_ to help those you love and call family. That’s not a _machine_. That’s more human than most of the people left on this Earth. If you want me to execute you, it’s not happening. I won’t do it. And I’ll be damned if I let you end your own life." 

“You’re risking your own life because of me. A life of a synth is not worth your own." 

Fresh tears broke loose, "Danse I have lost _everything_ and _everyone_ I've ever cared about. Please don't make me lose you, too. I _love_ you.” 

“How can you still feel this way about me, Roxi? I’m not _human_ ,” I tried to bite back my emotions- real or programmed.

She picked up one of my hands and stroked it gently with her thumbs, “These are still the same calloused hands I’ve held.” Her eyes met mine, red and swollen but still beautiful, “Those are still the brown eyes I’ve stared into countless times. Your voice is still the one of reason I’ve listened to and can never get enough of hearing. You’re the same Danse I fell in love with, regardless if you’re a human or a synth. Nothing has changed for me. I know it won’t be that easy for you to accept. It’ll take time for you to sort things out and pick yourself back up, but I can promise you that it _will_ get better. You pulled me back from jumping off the Prydwen, now it’s my turn to pull you back from the abyss. Please, Danse. I’ll be there for you in whatever way you need me to be, just as you’ve done for me. But _please_ , give yourself the chance to live. Your life matters and it is worth living. It matters to me. It matters to Haylen. _Please_.” 

“Roxi…” I sighed and pulled her close to me, unable to keep my tears back. “They’d hunt us down to the end of the Earth.” 

She was silent for a long moment, stroking my back with her hand to soothe me. “Then...maybe we can fake your death?” 

I scoffed, “How could we do that?”

Roxi pulled away to look me in the eye, “I brought along a friend that can help you get somewhere safe. The plan was for both of us, but if you think Maxson will hunt us endlessly, then maybe we can compromise.”

I smiled despite the situation and gently brushed back her white hair with my fingertips. She was always three steps ahead. “What’s your plan?” 

“We can get you somewhere safe tonight. I can head back to the Prydwen and tell them that you're disposed of. Don’t worry- I’ll make a big dramatic scene so they think I’m having a nervous breakdown.” 

I slipped my holotags from my neck, seeing a possible silver lining, “Use these to help convince them.”

She placed the holotags around her neck, observing the writing for a long moment before meeting my eyes, “So, you’ll do it? You’ll come with us?’

“Yes,” I nodded. “I want to do whatever makes you happy.” 

“Promise me you won't try to kill yourself,” She looked at me with intensity.

“I promise,” I nodded. 

Roxi raised on her tiptoes and kissed me. She insisted that I used her power armor before leading the way upstairs. She didn't say a word while in the elevator- her eyes staring into a void that only she could see. She looked exhausted. The elevator doors opened once on the ground floor. 

Roxi stepped out, "Deacon?" 

"You're clear," Deacon, the Railroad agent, poked his head around the corner of the doorway. He was standing outside on watch while Roxi had reasoned with me. 

"We're losing moonlight. We gotta get out of the Brotherhood’s range before sun up. They’ll start sending out vertibirds at first light," Roxi checked _Righteous Authority_ before handing it to me. She grabbed her .45 from her thigh and checked the magazine, "Any luck contacting Preston?" 

"He knows we're coming," Deacon nodded. "Danse, how are you holding up there, bud?" 

"I've had better days," I answered with distaste. 

"Let's go," Roxi said before Deacon could come up with a comeback. "We have a long walk ahead of us." 

Roxi led the way to the settlement of Sanctuary. It was the current base of operations for the Minutemen, and one of the largest settlements in the Commonwealth, second only to Diamond City. Roxi must have considered it a safe place to hide since the Brotherhood could not force entry to their town without sparking a war. Whether the war would be quick or not was beside the point- right now the Brotherhood could not afford to wage a two-sided battle when going up against the Institute. 

We arrived at the bridge to Sanctuary with an hour to spare before the sun began to rise. A spotlight was trained on Roxi as she approached the gates of the settlement. She waved her hand in the air, and the spotlight ceased. A few moments later, the gates opened and a man stepped out to greet her. 

“Roxi, it’s good to see you,” The man said, bringing her into a tight hug. 

“Hey, Preston. It’s good to see you, too. Thank you for doing this for us,” Roxi pulled from the hug. 

“Of course,” Preston nodded. “Don’t mention it to anyone in town, though. You know how things are.” 

She nodded, “Of course. Is it...uh...still the same?” 

“No,” Preston shook his head. “We’ve cleared it out and gave the bodies a proper burial.” 

She clapped Preston on the back, “Thank you. That means a lot to me.” 

“It’s the least we could do for those poor souls. I can take you to the gravesite tomorrow if you’d like. But let’s get out of the open,” He waved us to follow. 

Preston led us through the town to another set of gates. He opened one of the doors enough to allow us passage before closing it. Roxi let out a heavy sigh as she looked toward the top of the hill. 

“I never thought I’d go back in there,” She muttered. 

“At least this time, it’s for a different reason,” Deacon tried to comfort her. 

Preston led us up the hill. Once cresting the top, I realized that this was the location of Vault 111. Preston instructed us to stand on the platform. Roxi stood close to me, squeezing her eyes shut and keeping her arms tightly crossed against her body. The platform lurched; Preston ran and jumped onto the platform before it lowered into the ground. Roxi let out a heavy sigh as we descended into the darkness. 

It took several minutes before reaching the Vault. There was a slight mildew smell in the damp air, but otherwise, it was clean. Roxi looked around and nodded approvingly to Preston as we entered the first large room. 

“You guys really did come in and clean up,” Roxi mused. "The last time I was here there were bones all over the ground."

“We plan on using this in case of emergencies,” Preston answered. “You never know what to expect with the Brotherhood in town.” 

Roxi scoffed, “They’re a bit preoccupied at the moment. We’re going to the Overseers quarters, right?” 

“Yes, we have beds and supplies ready back there. I think you know the way.” 

Roxi nodded and ushered me through the hallway. We came upon the Overseers office after several twists and turns. I stepped out of the power armor and took Roxi in my arms. 

“I’m sorry you have to go through this,” I gestured to the Vault. 

“It’s alright, Danse. I’m here with friends now.” 

“So...what do I do?” 

“Stay here and rest up. Deacon will be staying with you tonight, and I’m going to have a friend come down tomorrow to talk to you. I think she can help you start to sort some things out. Deacon needs to get transportation lined up, once that's settled then you'll be on your way to Far Harbor.”

“What about you?” 

“I’m heading back to the Prydwen immediately,” She sighed. “I gotta see things through with this and then the Institute.” 

“You need to be careful,” I warned. “Maxson _will_ interrogate you. The way he does it is sly- he’ll offer you a drink in hopes that the alcohol will loosen your tongue. Pay attention to how much you drink- don’t drink too much or you’ll tell him the truth, but make sure you do take a drink or he’ll suspect something. Watch your body language- he is an expert at reading people.”

Roxi smiled, “I’ve been under his interrogation tricks before. Don’t worry, Danse. I have a plan.” 

“I know. But still, _please_ , be careful,” I kissed her forehead. 

“I will. I love you.” 

“I love you, too.” 

Roxi stood on her tiptoes and kissed me, slow and soft. She returned to her power armor and left me. Deacon came in a few minutes later and collapsed on one of the beds. 

“She’ll be alright,” Deacon said through a yawn. 

“I wish I had your confidence. Unfortunately, I know what’s in store for her once she’s back on the Prydwen.” 

Deacon only snored in response, already fast asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Inhale, and exhale with a scream* If yinz need me, I'll be emotionally unavailable for the next few days after writing this, lol. 
> 
> This chapter was written and edited to the following: 
> 
> Gone Away- Five Finger Death Punch


	40. Chapter 40

#  **Roxi**

The sun was already up by the time the Prydwen came into view. I stopped and stared at it for a long time, rehearsing my story over and over again in my head. Everyone would already have heard that Danse was a synth. They would already know that I was sent by Elder Maxson to kill him. They would stare at me. They might even ask me questions. I had to stay focused. With a deep breath, I walked the rest of the way to the Base.

Aboard the Prydwen, I marched my way to hang up my power armor at it’s assigned station. I exited my suit and I pulled Danse’s holotags from my neck to wrap them around my fist. My face was wet from tears, eyes lined dark circles with stress and exhaustion. Everyone watched me in silence as I passed them. They looked at my worn expression before their eyes traveled to the holotags hanging from my fist. I tried to keep my glares at people short and keep my eyes straight ahead. Just as I reached the end of the mess hall, someone opened their mouth. 

“How could someone have been so close to Danse and _not_ know he was a synth?” 

I stopped dead in my tracks. For a moment, I wondered if it was worth it, and then I decided that it was. I turned slowly, glaring into every set of wide eyes.

“Who fucking said that,” I growled. 

Everyone looked directly at the kid who said it- an Initiate. _Perfect_. When my eyes locked onto his he gulped, eyes full of fear and realization that he fucked up. I launched myself at him, but someone quickly pulled me back. It took whoever was pulling me backward all of their strength as I lunged towards the kid. I screamed threats at him and scratched at the air. I tried to fight the hold of whoever was holding me back, jumping and pulling at their arms. 

“Calm down, kiddo. Calm down,” It was Paladin Brandis restraining me. “He’s not worth it. Danse wouldn’t want you acting like this. Please, Roxi. Before the Elder catches wind of this.” 

I stopped fighting as tears poured down my face and shrieked, “You all can think of Danse however you want, but keep it away from me. Or I _swear_ to _God_ I’ll _kill_ you like I had to _kill him_! _Do you think I’m afraid of any of you?!_ ”

Ingram pushed two soldiers aside and entered the mess hall, “Brandis, get her out of here,” She said calmly, and Brandis started to pull me down the hall. “And for the _rest_ of you! You may have all lost your sense of respect for Paladin Danse. You might have your snide comments and questions. But by God, you should have respect for your sister! What she went through is no short of a personal hell! And if I catch _any_ of you speaking about Danse around Roxi, I will have you brought up on harassment charges. _Do I make myself clear?!_ ” 

Brandis pulled me toward the senior officer’s quarters as I sobbed uncontrollably. “Kiddo, listen to me. Danse was a good man, and one _hell_ of a Paladin. But at least _you_ were there in his final moments. He died with mercy, which a lot of these guys wouldn’t have shown him. Just keep him in your heart, because I know moving forward will be tough.” 

My knees became weak. I cried to the point of intensity that there was no sound escaping my mouth. 

Ingram came over a few moments later, “Roxi, I’m...so _sorry_. After what we had discussed the other night…”

“He didn’t know,” I managed to say. “He didn’t know he was a synth. Escaped synths...when they get their mind wiped...they _don’t_ know.” 

“Listen, _shhh_ , _shhh_ , take a deep breath,” Brandis said, practically holding me up. 

Knight-Captain Cade came around the corner, “Oh...Knight Andrews…” He placed his hand on my shoulder, “It’ll be alright. Please, come to the clinic. Sit down, drink some water.” 

Brandis didn’t let go of me, guiding me into the medical clinic and sat me down in a chair. Cade handed me a bottle of water. Ingram shut the door behind us. The three backed away to give me room to breathe and exchanged concerned looks with one another. Danse’s holotags were still wrapped around my hand, I squeezed the chain tight until my fingers turned white. 

After a few minutes, I finally spoke, “I...I don’t know what to do.” 

“What do you mean?” Cade prompted softly. 

“I don’t know how to handle this. I...I’ve always had him to help me. And I don’t have him now,” my voice squeaked. “He did _nothing_ wrong.”

“I understand, but he was-”

“-A _fucking_ synth I KNOW!” I snapped, causing Cade to jump back. “Did you _ask_ to be born?!” I gave a few pants before dropping my head in my hands. My head was starting to ache from all of the dramatics. 

Brandis cleared his throat, “If I could speak openly with you all, off the record? Thank you, and I hope this to never be repeated outside of this room. In my own opinion, I have to say I agree with Roxi.” 

“Me too,” Ingram whispered and promptly cleared her throat, “This did not need to be escalated the way it was, especially being so close to kicking in the Institute's front door. _We_ needed him on the battlefield.” 

Cade sighed, “If we are speaking openly and off the record. I feel that it was unnecessary, and the only reason _why_ I say this is because of Danse’s track record with the Brotherhood. He had done nothing in the past to harm us, and was all but willing to sacrifice his own life to take down the Institute.” 

I looked up from my hands, “You guys don’t hate him?” 

The three senior members looked at one another, but Brandis answered. “I don’t hate him. After what you and Danse did for me, how could I?” 

Ingram straightened, “As a senior leader of the Brotherhood, I should say yes. But my heart says no,” She sighed heavily. “He has been a close friend of mine for many years. Good with his hands in the shop and a powerful force during battle.”

“I can’t say that I hate him,” Cade stated in a grumble. “I am, however, perplexed at how human-like he was. After all, I’ve done numerous medical exams on him, and never once did I have an inkling that he was a synth.” 

We were all silent for a moment. Ingram excused herself before someone noticed her extended absence. Brandis left shortly after, but not before hugging me. I stayed with Cade, knowing that I had to undergo his medical evaluation for the Elder.

“Alright, Knight. I know this won’t be easy to answer all of these questions right now, but please be honest.” 

“Do you have to report everything back to the Elder?”

“Not every detail, in this case,” Cade said, sitting back and placing his fingertips together. “He just needs my verbal clearance for approval of active duty, post-traumatic experience.” I narrowed my eyes at him. Cade sighed at my reaction, “Elder Maxson does _care_ about his soldiers well being.” 

I raised an eyebrow, a witty comment on the edge of my tongue that I held back, “Let’s just get on with this.” 

“As you wish. So first, are you having any suicidal thoughts?” 

“Not at the moment,” I shrugged. 

The list went on and on. Was I having hallucinations? Any recent drug or alcohol issues? Any previous addictions? Any known exposure to radiation? Any blunt force trauma? He tested my reflexes. He did simple testing on my cognitive skills. He tested me for concussion symptoms. When I thought the testing was over and I was in the clear, Cade let out a heavy sigh. 

“The Elder has specifically requested that we talk about your... _history_ with Danse...seeing that he is considered a non-human.” 

My heart dropped. I did not want to have this conversation. “Of course,” I swallowed hard. 

“Did you and Paladin Danse ever have an intimate relationship?” Cade asked, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

I fidgeted for a few moments before choking out a low, “Yes.” 

“When did you first have sexual contact with him?” 

“Uh...it was...after the Deathclaw almost killed me.” 

“When was the most recent sexual encounter?” 

I felt myself blush deeply. I knew I had to avoid telling him about what we did at the Sentinel Site. “When I returned from the Institute.” 

“And this was consensual sexual activity?” 

“Yes, sir.” 

“Did Paladin Danse initiate the very first sexual encounter?” 

“No, sir. I did.” 

He let out another sigh, “Any chance of pregnancy?” 

“Synth’s aren’t able to reproduce.” 

“I’m sorry, Roxi. But with these answers, I have to do a full gynecological exam.” 

“ _Ugh_ ,” I said as he handed me the gown to change into. Once in the gown, I hopped onto the bed and dragged a sheet across my lap. 

The exam only took a few minutes. I stared at the ceiling the entire time and reminded myself to breathe.

“Everything looks as normal as could be,” Cade said. “I’m sorry about all this. But the Elder...had suspicions about you two.” 

“So did the rest of the Brotherhood, let’s be honest,” I said, sitting up on the exam table. 

“Elder Maxson has requested to see you. I’m willing to give my report of your exam as well unless you would rather this be discussed between the Elder and myself privately.” 

“Now is fine,” I shrugged. 

I dressed and readied to follow Cade. He led me to the Elder’s quarters, knocked twice on the door, and took a step back. The door opened a moment later; Elder Maxson stood in the threshold shirtless, staring at Cade for a second before his eyes snapped to mine. He waved us both inside, to which he threw on a shirt and sat down at the table in front of a glass of whiskey. 

“Knight-Captain Cade, tell me, is Knight Andrews cleared for active duty?” Maxson said, looking directly at Cade. 

“Yes, sir.” 

“Any abnormalities with her results?” 

“No, sir.” 

“Good, dismissed,” Maxson then turned his eyes upon me. He waited until we were alone to continue the conversation, “Have you completed your mission, Knight?” 

“Yes, sir,” I said, clutching the holotags tightly in my fist. 

He nodded, dropping his eyes from mine. “Have a seat, Roxi.” 

Joining Maxson was the last thing I wanted to do, although there was no choice. I needed him to hurry up and ask all of his questions. I needed him to praise or berate me. I needed him to dismiss me so I could finally breathe and put this behind me.

Maxson threw back the whiskey he had left. Did he know that it was Danse’s favorite? Was he doing this to twist the knife deeper? I wanted to cry just looking at the empty glass.

“Do you have the weapon from the execution?” 

“Yes, sir,” I nodded. 

“Let me see it,” He gestured with two fingers. 

I pulled the .45 pistol from my thigh and placed it on the table, sliding it toward the Elder. I had popped off two shots just after leaving Sanctuary in case he inspected the weapon for a full magazine and gun residue, “Of course, sir.” 

Maxson picked the gun up and checked the magazine, counting the bullets. He looked at the barrel for proof of recent discharge. 

“Two bullets?” His icy blue eyes scanned my face.

“Mole rat,” I grumbled. 

“Ah,” His eyes returned to the gun for a moment before sliding it back to me. “I see. He didn’t put up a fight then?” 

I let out a heavy sigh as I holstered the gun, “No, sir. He accepted his fate. He knew his existence was...a threat to humanity,” My voice became shaky, “He said that if I didn’t do it...he’d do it himself.” 

“So you carried out the execution instead of letting him kill himself?” 

“Yes, sir,” Tears started to well in my eyes again. “I’ll never get the site out of my head for as long as I live. He was on his knees and I... _fucking shot him_ ,” I closed my eyes tight and let out a single gasp as my tears spilled over. I tried to calm myself down with a deep shuddering breath. After a few moments, I opened my eyes and met the Elder’s, “I didn’t want him to kill himself. I thought it would be merciful if I pulled the trigger instead.” 

Maxson poured two glasses of whiskey and placed one in front of me, “This conversation will be the last we speak about Danse. The fact that Danse’s true nature was hidden from you isn’t your fault.” 

I let out a heavy, shuttering sigh and ran my fingers through my hair. “I...just...I don’t know. I don’t have the words, Elder.” 

“I know,” He said, then took a sip from his own glass of whiskey. “Take comfort in the fact that I sent you, and not someone else. At least he died with mercy.” 

I tried to speak but was overcome with my emotions. I buried my face into my hands and sobbed. I heard Maxson get up from his seat. He placed his hand on my back and knelt beside me. I removed my hands from my face, staring down at the table with tears freely flowing. 

“You are a strong and resilient young woman who has much life left to live,” Maxson said softly. “I know you are feeling the cruelty of this world- a world you did not choose to be a part of. But give way your suspicions to the wisdom of thine Elder-”

“-Where he shows trust, so shall you,” I finished the Codex scripture, and looked to Maxson. 

He looked surprised, “You know the Codex, then?” 

“Danse taught me everything,” I said with a certain amount of authority. I reached out, grabbing the glass of whiskey, and chugged the contents. “But it doesn’t matter now.” 

“You can take Danse’s quarters for the day. You look exhausted. It will provide you privacy, as I know many of the soldiers aboard have questions they wish to bombard you with. It will also allow you time to mourn, away from everyone.” Maxson set a key down on the table as he stood up. I stared at the key, but Maxson brought his hand under my chin and gently guided it upwards, forcing me to look at him. “We are to have a formal meeting this evening for your promotion. But, seeing that you are in no condition for such ceremonies…” He gently brushed my cheek with his thumb. 

“Thank you, sir,” I sniffed and stood up from the chair. It brought me within inches of the Elder, and the hand that had been brushed my cheek now rested on my waist. 

“You’re dismissed. Try to get some rest,” He pulled his hand away and took his glass of whiskey.

“Thank you, sir. I’ll try my best.” 

I grabbed the key from the table and left the Elder’s quarters. I felt my skin crawl and my heart pound. I hurriedly unlocked the Paladin quarters door and slid inside, turning on the light. I shut the door behind me and locked it; I leaned up against the door and let out a heavy sigh. 

Good. This was almost over. We were almost in the clear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Early post* :)
> 
> This chapter was written and edited to the following:  
> Faint- Linkin Park  
> Bad Liar- Imagine Dragons  
> Money Trees- Kendrick Lamar (feat Anna Wise)


	41. Chapter 41

#  **Danse**

I laid in bed and stared at the ceiling, worried about what awaited Roxi when she returned to Base. She was in over her head and it was entirely _my_ fault. Not to mention that the thought of Maxson disturbing a single hair on Roxi’s head enraged me. 

Maybe we should have just run away as Roxi had wanted. The Brotherhood was relentless, but how much effort would they truly put into finding us when starting a war with the Institute? If they sent out a search party that would be fewer people to go against the Institute. If they waited until the war was over, the trail would be too cold for them to follow. But life would be miserable- we would have had to sleep with one eye open and keep looking over our shoulders. Settling down for too long would prove a great risk of being tracked down. It would not be the peaceful life we wanted outside of the Brotherhood.

Roxi going back to the Brotherhood to lie about my death was not the morally correct option, either, although it was the route we chose. The stress Roxi would be under to live out a lie for her remaining days in the Brotherhood would undoubtedly wear her thin. She would have to keep herself in perfect check for however long this war continued. A single small slip up could cost her everything- including her own life. 

The _morally correct_ option was my death. Even now, after Roxi pleaded with me, I still felt unworthy of life. This was _my_ fault, regardless if I had known my true identity or not. It’s _my_ fault Roxi would have to lie every single moment of the day. 

I feared the worst for her arrival back aboard the Prydwen. What approach would Maxson take? Would he arrest her on-site and throw her in a holding cell? Would he torture her to ensure she was telling the truth? Roxi was a strong woman, but how much pain could she bear before admitting the truth? Or would she hold out, either gaining her release or her death? Would he strap her to a chair and interrogate her for hours? Would he try to liquor her up and take advantage of her? The imagery of each option played in my head and I couldn’t get it to stop, making me nauseous. 

Deacon woke up in an almost startled fashion. He looked at me for a long moment before coming to his senses. With a loud yawn, he stood and stretched his arms upwards with a loud groan. 

“You look well-rested,” The Railroad spy smirked. 

“ _Hmph_ ,” I groaned. 

“Come on,” He waved his hand for me to follow as he shuffled his way to the exit. “I wanna show you something before Curie gets here.” 

With nothing better to do but drive myself insane, I rolled out of bed and followed the Railroad agent.

Deacon led us through the twists and turns of the vault. It was a cold and haunting place to maneuver through. I had been in several abandoned vaults during my time as a Knight in the Capital Wasteland- most of them were decorated with Vault-Tec’s signature style with directories and facilities for the residents. This vault did not, making it very clear that the residents would be kept differently than those I had explored. There was barely enough room for the staff that had been assigned to this Vault. 

Deacon took one last turn. The hallway opened up to two chambers of cryopods, which Deacon continued to the one directly ahead of us. The pods were all vacant. Deacon counted the pods on the left side before stopping and pointing to one. 

“This one was Roxi’s,” Deacon said quietly. “Preston relayed the story that Roxi had shared with him when they started to set up Sanctuary as a settlement.” He pointed to the next pod over, “This was Roxi’s sister-in-law’s pod. Her pod never froze again, ultimately the defect in _this_ pod saved Roxi’s life.” He pointed to the pod directly across, “That was Roxi’s brother's pod. He was holding her nephew and took a bullet keeping that kid safe.” He turned to look at me, “It’s one thing to hear the story. It’s another to see where it happened.” 

I looked at the pod that Roxi was held hostage, “I can’t imagine how scared she must have been. I’ve heard the story a few times, but you’re right, seeing where it all took place...puts things into perspective. It’s amazing how far she has come.” 

“You’re damn right about that,” Deacon nodded. 

“Sometimes I forget how valorous she can be,” I said, feeling a heartsick smile peak at the corner of my lips remembering all of the times she had proven herself in the past. 

“And stubborn.” 

I snorted, “Yes, that too.” 

A silence fell between us just as the sound of approaching footsteps echoed through the vault. My heart dropped for a moment, awaiting the sound of a Brotherhood ambush. 

“ _Hello_?” Called out a thick-accented woman’s voice. 

“We’re in here Curie,” Deacon called. 

A petite young woman turned the corner with a large excited grin. She walked in a manner that seemed like skipping. Her eyes were locked onto me as she approached. 

“You must be _Monsieur_ Danse,” She beamed. “My name is Curie. I am _so_ excited to meet you! Roxi has told me _all_ about what happened. It is _so_ nice to meet another synth!” 

“You’re...a synth?” I asked, looking her up and down. 

“I wasn’t _always_ a synth, you see!” 

I stared at her, “You...what?” 

Deacon let out a low chuckle as he started for the exit, “I’m going to leave you two to talk. As much as I’d _love_ to see your reaction, I have transport to arrange. _Au revoir_.”

“How were you _not_ a synth before?” I stammered. 

Curie bounced on her toes as she recalled the story, “Well, you see, Roxi was such a _big_ help! I was a Miss Nanny robot in one of the local vaults. Roxi had come along and released me from my lab, which the vault residents had _no_ idea that it was even there! So, I left the vault with her! And one day, I decided that I no longer could continue working in the field of science without the human spark of _inspiration_ . So I needed to become as close to a human as possible. Roxi helped me find a synth body and a doctor who could transfer my memories. And- _Voilà!_ I am now a synth.

I stared at her for a long moment before any words could form, “You became a synth to... _feel_ inspired?” 

“You see, _monsieur_ Danse, there is a difference between a robot’s programming and a synth’s. I could compute an understanding- a computer. Now, I have not only the ability to compute but also to _feel_.” 

“And you believe these feelings _aren’t_ part of your programming?” 

She chuckled, “I _know_ so. I have experienced sensations that a robot just _cannot_ . I feel pain. I feel tired. I can feel the sun’s warmth and the rain’s chill. I can feel the wind go through my hair. I know sadness and happiness! I know _love_ . I know _anger_ and frustration. These are all things that I could not _feel_ being a Miss Nanny. I may have had a voice module and an understanding of human responses, but it does not compare to what I feel now.” 

“All this time, I thought I was human. But I’m not-”

“-You are not, but you are _very_ close. Roxi was worried that you might have some issues with grasping this new realization. If you have any questions for me, I’d love to discuss my life as a synth with you.”

“I have plenty,” I said. 

“Then let’s go talk somewhere more pleasant,” She smiled and turned to lead down the hallway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was written and edited to the following: 
> 
> Gone Away- Five Finger Death Punch  
> A Little Bit Off- Five Finger Death Punch  
> Oblivion- Grimes


	42. Chapter 42

#  **Roxi**

I laid in bed, wrapped up in Danse’s blankets, inhaling the scent of them. I had spent most of the day fading in and out of consciousness. I would sleep for a half-hour before waking up in an anxiety-ridden panic. Time was ticking down until I had to meet with Elder Maxson and accept the inevitable promotion. I’ve created a believable lie- one that I had to continue until my days with the Brotherhood finally came to an end.

About a half-hour away from the meeting, I rolled out of bed. I brushed my hair and pulled it back into a tight bun. I put on my fatigues, tightly laced my boots, and put Danse’s holotags around my neck. I left the private quarters and climbed down the ladder to the Command Deck. 

I stole a glance into the Command Room; Maxson stood looking out of the window, his hands clasped behind his back. All of the higher-ranking officers lined the center walkway, awaiting this meeting. Maxson turned, and I locked eyes with him. He looked rather pleased. I marched myself inside the command room, keeping my head high and never breaking eye contact with the Elder. 

“Knight Andrews,” Maxson started softly, but he quickly elevated his tone so everyone could hear him, “What you have been through within the last few hours has been enough to crack a soldier’s will. You, a pre-war vault dweller who had witnessed the end of civilization and woke up to the world we have today, joined the Brotherhood of Steel with nothing more but the concerns we share for the Commonwealth. You have continued to impress me through all of your battles, your pre-war knowledge, and your commitment to our cause. You showed proof of your willingness, whether it be following orders to the depth of the Glowing Sea, or stepping on an electrically charged platform to infiltrate the Institute. Your enthusiasm reminds me of a friend I had when I was younger. You share many of the same qualities as her...and this is why I believe you will make a great leader within our ranks. Roxi Andrews, I hereby grant you the rank of-”

“- _ Elder Maxson _ !” Boomed a voice from the front of the command room. I turned immediately to find Danse exiting a suit of power armor. My heart slammed in my chest and my knees felt weak. Everyone in the room gasped and stood like statues. “As a Brotherhood of Steel Paladin, I’m issuing a formal challenge against your authority as Elder!” 

“ _ Danse… _ ” His name barely escaped my lips before Elder Maxson caught me in a chokehold, lifting me off of the ground until my toes barely touched the floor.

“How  _ dare _ you betray the Brotherhood!” Maxson yelled. 

“Danse,” I choked out, “You were supposed to stay away!” 

“I couldn’t leave you here,” Danse said softly.

“Touching,” Maxson spat, “You no longer have the authority,  _ synth. _ ” 

Danse spoke low and firm, “In case you’ve forgotten, Elder, you’ve never officially stripped me of my title. We’ll settle this matter as it was written in the Litany: In combat.” 

With this, Maxson gave an angered shout and threw me to the ground. “Knights! Take them both into custody. We will settle this... _ soon _ .” 

I was handcuffed and yanked up from the floor by a Knight. Danse and I were escorted from the Prydwen by vertibird to the Cambridge police station. We didn’t say a word to each other. I stared at the ground, mostly in shock.  _ I had this,  _ I thought to myself,  _ Why? Why, Danse? _

We were marched into the police station and thrown into the only unoccupied jail cell. Our handcuffs were removed before the cell door was slammed shut and locked. I stared at Danse for the longest moment, as he looked at me with soft eyes. 

I turned and stared at Danse, “Why? Danse...I  _ had _ this. You were  _ safe. _

“It’ll be alright, Roxi.” 

“But...I had them convinced,” My frustration boiled over, “Why did you do this? Danse, you were  _ safe _ for  _ fuck's sake _ .”

He reached out and stroked my cheek with his thumb, and with a calm voice whispered, “I couldn’t leave you here alone. Not with how Maxson treats you behind closed doors.” 

I let out a heavy sigh as I wrapped my arms around Danse’s torso and bought myself into his chest. I was tired of planning this out only to have them go haywire. Every single time I thought I had created a path for a better future, something went wrong. 

“What’s going to happen now?” I asked, my head resting on his chest as I looked through the bars of the jail cell. 

“When Maxson’s ready, they’ll come for me. I’ll be escorted to Maxson’s choice of a battleground and we’ll fight. If I kill Maxson...then we’ll discuss who the next Elder will be. If I die...he has to uphold my one request.” 

“What’s your one request?” 

“Your immediate release and safety from the Brotherhood.” 

If Danse was defeated in combat, my entire life hung on the slim chance that Maxson would uphold the last request of a synth. The thought of living a life without Danse was gut-wrenching. Freedom from the Brotherhood wasn’t supposed to be lived without him- it was supposed to be spent together. The punishment Maxson would bring down upon me would be death- and I’m sure it would be slow and agonizing after lying and betraying him.

Danse would have the odds stacked against him in battle. Knowing Maxson, he would allow Danse the right to a gun, but no other form of protection. Maxson would be donned in his best power armor and gun the Prydwen had on deck. 

We situated ourselves on the floor as comfortable as possible. I laid in his lap, staring up at him with a mix of emotions. I could have smacked him for being so reckless and being so unlike himself. I could have kissed him for being so brave and selfless and...so much like himself.

I began to think about the moments that lead up to this. After Maxson had given the execution order, I ran into Scribe Haylen on the Flight Deck of the Prydwen. She pulled me to the unused control station near the tail of the ship, announcing loud enough for the Knights on guard duty that she had information that could help find Danse. I slipped out of my power armor and followed her. She had a radio set up that was dialed in to a particular frequency. I eyed her with curiosity. 

“You’re not going to rush off and follow Maxson’s orders without a single thought, right?” Haylen asked with a quivering voice. 

I eyed her with suspicion, “I don’t feel comfortable discussing this.” 

“Roxi,” She sharply pointed at the radio, “I’m the one who told Danse they were coming for him. If Maxson finds out I’m done for. I’ve risked my life for him, I need to know if you’re going to do the same.” 

A smile slowly spread on my face, “Haylen, I plan on never returning. I want to find Danse and high-tail it the fuck out of town.” 

Haylen sighed with relief, “Oh, thank God. But how do you plan on doing that?” 

“I’m going to find a friend of mine who works with the Railroad. Hopefully, he can help.” 

“Danse had me identify a fallback point in case we ever got separated during our recon mission. It’s Listening Point Bravo,” she gestured to my Pip-Boy which I allowed her to use, “Just outside of the town of Malden.” 

“Thank you, Haylen.” 

“Good luck,” She smiled, grasping my arm. “If I never see you again, I wish you all the luck and happiness in the world.” 

I had immediately left the Base and headed straight for the Railroad’s HQ. As I approached the church, a man stepped out from the shadows. Of course, my power armor would have raised suspicion coming this close to their place of operation. 

“You lost, soldier boy?” It was a voice I didn’t recognize. 

“I’m looking for my friend,” I called out. 

“What’s your name?”

“Roxi Andrews.” 

“Who are you looking for?” 

“Deacon.” 

The man stepped back into the shadows, “Wait there. Don’t move. We have enough snipers trained on you to blast through that armor.” 

I waited as instructed. I didn’t believe the guy about the snipers at first, but after standing in the darkness for a few minutes, I began to feel as if I was being watched. Within twenty minutes, the door of the church opened and out stepped Deacon. 

“Maybe I should’ve told you the password,” Deacon mused. 

“Would’ve made things a lot easier,” I shrugged. 

“Listen, Dez is beyond pleased with you.” 

“Oh?” 

“Well,  _ duh _ . You sent a mass exodus of synths out from the Institute. One of them had handed over a note with handwritten directions to one of our safehouses with your initials on it.” 

I smiled under my helmet, “I’m so happy they used my note. I didn’t know if they would be brave enough to do it.” 

“You did great. So, as a reward for your greatness, I’m available for whatever you’ve called this meeting for this wonderful evening.” 

“Great. Danse is a synth and we need to find him.” 

Deacon took a step back, “Woah,  _ what _ ? The Great Paladin himself is a synth?”

“ _ Deacon _ ,” I warned.

“Right, right, right. Sorry. I just needed to appreciate the irony for a second.” 

“Elder Maxson has ordered me to execute him- but I’m not going through with it. Is there any way that you can get us somewhere safe?” 

Deacon took a deep breath and thought for a moment, “Yeah. We can try to send you guys up to Far Harbor or...maybe out west toward New Vegas?” 

“Whatever you can secure, we’ll take. That is if we find Danse and he hasn’t already killed himself.” 

“Then let’s hit the road.” 

****

Danse brushed back my hair, pulling me from my memories. He smiled softly down at me with pure love in his eyes. I took the hand he had rested on my abdomen in both of mine. 

“I spoke to your friend- Curie,” Danse said softly. “She was a Miss Nanny.” 

“She was,” I nodded. 

“You helped her get a synth body.” 

I smirked, “I did. Before my Brotherhood days.” 

Danse ran his fingers through my hair, “She talked a lot of sense into me. She told me all about finding love and what it felt like to her. It was something that she couldn’t feel as a Miss Nanny like she does not in her synth body. She helped me realize that... _ yes _ , I was created in a lab, but my emotions and thoughts are my own.” 

“Good,” I smiled, “I’m glad she was able to help you.” 

“After I spoke with her, I realized that I couldn’t stay in hiding. I had to come here. I had to protect you. Because I love you. I couldn’t let something happen to you while I hid away.” 

“I love you too, Danse. I just... _ really _ hope you know what you’re doing.”

“I promise you, I do.” 

It wasn't until morning when they came for Danse. They ripped him from the cell before allowing us a chance to say goodbye. They strapped him in handcuffs and shoved him out of the police station. I sat on the ground and cried. For the first time in a long time, I found myself curled into a ball praying to whatever deity would listen to me as I pleaded for Danse’s life. 

Two hours passed, and still no update. I paced. I sat on the floor. I lied on my back and sides. I tried to tell myself everything was going to be okay. But the minutes dragged on. The anxiety built. Would Maxson keep his word to Danse that I would be released if he died? Would Danse take the spot of Elder if he was victorious?

I heard a vertibird land on the roof of the station. My heart jumped to my throat. I froze in my position on the floor, listening to the muffled orders being shouted followed by the sounds of boots on the stairs. 

“GET HER OUT OF THAT CELL, NOW!” 

I jumped up from the floor and desperately peered from the cell bars. Several soldiers rushed over to my cell and unlocked the doors, swinging them open. I stepped out of the cell and scanned through the crowd of soldiers filing into the room. I locked eyes with the man at the end of the hall. 

“Danse!” I yelled with relief and pushed my way through to him. 

He threw his arms around me for a brief moment before grabbing my hand and pulling me through the station, “We gotta get you back up to the Prydwen ASAP.” 

I was in such a state of shock that Danse was alive that the idea of asking questions as to why we were being rushed back to Base slipped my mind until we were on the roof of the police station. 

“Danse, tell me what’s happening,” I said as we approached the vertibird. 

He turned with a strange excitement on his face, “I killed Maxson. Which means we need a new Elder.” 

“Who’s going to be Elder?” 

A smile pulled at the corner of his lips, “You are.” 

I took a step back, eyes wide and heart pounding in my chest, “Oh, no. No, no, no,” I said with a laugh. “You’re joking.” 

“Roxi-”

“-You’re  _ joking _ ,” I said as panic started to set in seeing the seriousness in Danse’s eyes.

He reached out and took my hands in his, trying to calm my panic, “Roxi. You’ve come such a long way in such a short amount of time. I’ve already discussed this with the others, and we all agree that it should be you.” 

“Danse...no...it should be you. You  _ bleed  _ Brotherhood.” 

He let out a small chuckle, “As true as that may be, the fact is I’m still a synth. And you have something no other member of the Brotherhood has- connections to both the Railroad and the Minutemen and insight of the Institute. You have the respect of your superior officers. You’re an intelligent young woman who can bring an incredible outlook to help guide the Brotherhood. And I promise to be by your side every step of the way. So, what do you say? Are you willing to be the next Elder of the Brotherhood of Steel?” 

I looked toward the vertibird readying for takeoff.  _ Elder _ Roxi Andrews. The title had a nice ring to it. But would the rest of the Brotherhood truly fall in line? I would be a drastic change from Arthur Maxson’s reign. A lot of the soldiers praised Maxson’s bold and violent ways. The transition wouldn’t be easy.

I looked at Danse. He had so much hope on his face. He believed in me. If I said yes, my dreams of a simple farm life with my handsome man would be squandered. All this time I wanted to get away from the Brotherhood, but it seemed that fate had different plans. 

“Danse I…” I took a deep breath to combat the nerves building in my stomach. “Can I make you my personal guard?”

“You can do whatever you’d like,” Danse smiled. “As Elder, your decisions are final.” 

I took another look at the vertibird for a long moment as if it were a portal to my future. I could change the course Maxson was directing the Brotherhood for all of the right reasons. Everything that had ever discouraged me from the Brotherhood’s ways could change just with a single order. I could protect Preston and his Minutemen. I could possibly strike a deal with the Railroad and help out Deacon’s family of agents. I could help people like Dr. Virgil who would be shunned from the Institute for his desertion and Maxson’s Brotherhood for his existence. This was a chance that could change  _ everything _ . 

“Alright. I’ll do it.” 

Danse pulled me into a tight hug and kissed the top of my head, “That’s my girl. I know you’ll need some time to come to grips with everything. Hell,  _ all  _ of us do. But I know you’ll lead us into a better age of the Brotherhood.” 

I smiled, “Thank you, Danse.”

“Let’s get going,” He smiled and held out his arm for me to take. “You’re going to have a busy day,  _ Elder _ .” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on the Fo4 Mod "Elderly Care" which used the original (but unfulfilled) ending to the BoS. Check it out if you haven't heard of it before. Seriously, I wish the Elderly Care ending was the real ending of the BoS in Fo4. I hope you guys enjoyed this change! It's a pretty big twist to the in-game storyline. 
> 
> This chapter was written and edited to the following: 
> 
> Rosyln- Bon Iver & St. Vincent  
> My Type- Saint Motel  
> Holding Out for A Hero- Bonnie Tyler (Quixotic Remix)  
> Sweet Dreams- Eurythmics (DJ DeepDink Remix)


	43. Chapter 43

#  **Roxi**

All outstanding field troops were called back to the base. All troops holding positions of interest, such as the Cambridge Police Station, were ordered to hold their positions and keep their radiowaves cleared for incoming transmissions. They were all waiting for the pyre of Arthur Maxson to be lit tonight, and for the new Elder to be announced. They set up their camps in the open areas of the base- canvas tents and cook fires lined neatly in rows. I had never seen the base so crowded with soldiers as I watched from the Prydwen's flight deck; it made my stomach turn with anxiety. 

I returned to the Elder’s quarters and readied for my first meeting. I looked over my outfit in the mirror with scrutiny. I looked more like my mercenary self than the highest-ranking officer of the Brotherhood of Steel. I had dressed my hair at least fifty times. I looked too serious with a tight and clean bun. I looked too laid back with a ponytail. I looked too informal with my hair down. I looked too formal with my hair curled. Braids made me look like a little girl. I had finally given up and settled on pulling my hair back into a loose bun with a few strands of hair framing my face. 

My frustration with my hair was just my anxiety manifesting into my appearance. I couldn’t truly  _ lead  _ this army. I did not feel strong enough, or capable enough, to handle the amount of stress I would be taking on. What on Earth was Danse thinking? What was  _ I _ thinking?

A knock came at the door. 

“Come in,” I called, my eyes not leaving the mirror. 

Danse stepped in and closed the door behind him, “You look beautiful.” 

I rolled my eyes, “ _ Danse _ .” 

“Sorry,” He chuckled and wrapped his arms around me, and stared at our reflections, “We’re almost ready.” 

I let out a sigh, “You really think I’m suited for this?” 

“Of course,” He kissed the top of my head. “I wouldn’t set you up for failure.” 

“It’s just all so much,” I whispered. 

“It is,” He nodded. “But you’re not alone. Your decision might be final but you have an entire committee of officers to call upon to help make those decisions. We’re not going to let you fail. We all want the Brotherhood to succeed.” 

“I don’t look stupid, right?” 

“No,” He smiled, “You look great. Now, let’s get this started.” 

Danse and I left my new quarters. I stood back as Danse proceeded into the Command Room to officially start the meeting. The conversation started promptly between the officers and lasted several minutes. I stayed outside, awaiting my cue to join, watching through the door left slightly ajar. 

“I want to make one thing clear to everyone,” Danse’s voice boomed and the room went silent, “This body might synth, but my heart and mind belong to the Brotherhood. The Institute is still a tremendous threat to the Commonwealth. They possess technologies that need to be confiscated or destroyed. And even if that means I have to pull the trigger on my own kind, I’m willing to make that sacrifice. Elder Maxson has fallen. The Litany’s clear. We have a new Elder.” 

The two Knights standing guard on the inside of the Command Room opened the doors. I glanced around the Command Room as everyone looked at me for the first time as Elder. I stepped into the room, saluted by the officers, and took my place next to Danse. 

“Only a single question remains,” Danse continued, looking around the room, “Will the rest of the Brotherhood fall in line?” 

“Yes, sir!” Announced the officers. 

“Outstanding,” Danse smiled. “Elder, I believe you wanted to discuss a few things?” 

“Yes, thank you, Paladin,” I clasped my hands together and looked around the room. “I’m sure you’re all wondering what changes are going to be made. I’d like to just get this conversation out of the way now and answer the questions you all are sure to have. Proctor Ingram, how’s Prime coming along?” 

“He’s fully built and programmed, however, we were unable to maintain power with the use of our altered fusion cores,” Ingram answered. 

“What’s our next step?” 

“We’ve dug up some information about a potential power source from Mass Fusion. It’s not going to be easy, but if we can obtain it, we can power Prime without issue.” 

“Let’s go ahead and get a full assault team put together as early as tomorrow. If it’s of interest to us as a power source, it’s guaranteed the Institute isn’t far behind. Does anyone have questions?”

Lancer-Captain Kells spoke first, “What is your plan with the Institute, Elder? Are we proceeding the same as Elder Maxson’s plan?” 

“As I’m to understand it, Elder Maxson wanted to destroy the Institute by detonating their nuclear reactor. Is that correct?” The officers nodded. “I see,” I sighed. “The issue with detonating the reactor is the collateral damage it will cause to the already nuclear ravaged Commonwealth. I’ve seen one too many nuclear explosions in my day, and would prefer not to see the city of Boston be overtaken by another.” I looked around the room to mostly confused expressions and continued without prompt, “The Institute is the most technologically advanced infrastructure I’ve ever laid eyes on. Yes- the synth program needs to be halted immediately and indefinitely. But I think we should use the Institute for ourselves.” 

“Are you saying you wish to take over the compound?” Asked Kells. 

“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying. Our scribes would  _ thrive _ with the laboratories and technology there instead of being cramped aboard the Prydwen. Which brings me to my next point,” I looked to Proctor Ingram, “How much engine life do we have with our current resources?” 

“Maybe a year,” Ingram said with a shrug. 

I looked around the room, “I’ve listened to those engines every night that I’ve stayed on board. After a while, I could tell when the engines were stable, and when they were running hot. Finding coolant for the engines will become an increasingly daunting task. The Prydwen cannot sustain constant running, or we’ll lose her completely. After we contend with the Institute and take it as our own, we can focus on building the Prydwen a proper storage facility and use her only during wartime. For the rest of the base, I’d love to focus on restoring the local buildings and establishing troop housing. Next question.” 

“What about the Railroad?” Asked Knight-Captain Cade. 

“I’d like to speak with them personally,” I said, folding my hands behind my back. 

“Elder, with all due respect, we don’t negotiate with our enemies,” Proctor Quinlin spoke up from the back with a particularly amused expression. 

“Here’s the thing I don’t quite understand about that philosophy,” I glared towards Quinlin, “Their main target is the Institute.  _ Our _ main target is the Institute. The  _ only  _ reason the Railroad continues to operate is for the liberation of synths. If we eliminate the manufacturer, then we eliminate their entire reason for operating.” 

“And the Minutemen?” Cade asked cautiously. 

“I don’t see them as a threat at the moment. We’ll take care of the Institute, and then maybe we can advance with negotiations with the Minutemen.” 

“What kind of negotiations?” Kells asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Peaceful,” I smirked. “I don’t have more than a rough draft of an idea of the negotiations, but allow me to spew some facts for you all to think about. In the past, the Brotherhood reached out to the community of the Capital Wasteland with Project Purity. I’m sure, during that time, the Brotherhood had more of a  _ positive  _ influence on the residence, and with that boost in popularity, I’m sure you had an increase of enlistments. Is this true?” 

“Yes, Elder. You would be correct,” Kells nodded. 

I nodded and continued, “I understand that this organization cannot be a charity. We need to find a balance. The Minutemen can  _ be  _ that balance. The last official count of settlements under Minutemen control, that I can recall, was twenty.  _ Twenty _ . They have established an impressive trade route, an economy, and all of the settlements are self-sustaining.” 

“They should be considered a threat, not a friend,” Quinlin piped up again. 

I raised an eyebrow, “If Maxson was still in charge I’d agree with you. But if we want to increase our downed enlistment numbers, we have to switch tactics. Trust me, I’ve been around the people of the Commonwealth and they do  _ not _ see the Brotherhood as saviors. They see us as a threat to their way of life. We need to show them some sort of progress for the betterment of their lives if we ever want to expand versus watching our numbers dwindle. You don’t get to bully your way into people’s hearts and minds in Boston- that’s not the way it was two-hundred years ago and it’s not the way now. And let me just make something clear, for a group in a combustible balloon we’ve poked  _ a lot _ of hornet nests. So, for all of our safety and the hope of continuing forward, I implore you to see things a little differently, Proctor. Anyone have a problem with that?” 

The group collectively shook their heads. 

“Good. My last little bit of business for tonight is discussing the handling of Paladin Danse’s identity,” I looked up to him with a nod. “We’ve spoken about this in-depth today and have decided that he will be my personal guard. Our soldiers will have questions, and that’s okay. We’ve decided that it’s best not to lie, but with that being said, we will not tolerate insubordination. I’m granting him the rank of Star Paladin, and he  _ will  _ be treated with respect. But to help eliminate any issues, Star Paladin Danse will only be working with me unless there is a dire emergency where he must take command over a team. This leaves a gap open for his old position. Knight-Captain Cade, in your next availability, I’d greatly appreciate it if you could re-evaluate Paladin Brandis. I hope that he can fill the vacant position.” 

“Yes, ma’am,” Cade smiled. 

“Well, that’s all I have. Anything else?”

“No, ma’am,” Answered the officers. 

“Perfect. Then I think it’s time we join the funeral.” 

Salutes were exchanged and everyone was dismissed to join the funeral pyre for Elder Maxson. As we walked out to the flight deck, I looked out to the base where three lines had been formed for troops to pay respects to the fallen Elder. 

Once on the ground, we skipped the lines and headed straight toward the pyre. All eyes were upon us as everyone tried to figure out who had taken the position of Elder. At the front of the line, Lancer-Captain Kells stood on the platform with a lit torch. 

Kells spoke into a microphone that broadcasted to all those unable to attend the funeral, and across the base for all to hear, “Tonight, we celebrate the life of Elder Arthur Maxson. Tonight, reflect on what was, what is, and what can be. A new Elder has been selected to move the Brotherhood of Steel forward. Collectively, we have all agreed to give you this night and prepare for the transition. Tomorrow, you will have new orders to follow. May the new Elder of the Brotherhood of Steel, Elder Roxi Andrews, come forth and set fire to this pyre.” 

I stepped onto the platform and carefully grasped the torch from Kells. He saluted, and the rest of the crowd followed suit. I slowly moved to the pyre of which Arthur Maxson rested. I wondered what he would say to me. I wondered what advice he would have shared. What criticism he might have had if he knew who was taking his place. But those answers would remain a mystery- I lit the pyre, feeling the heat as the fire spread. It was up to me now to lead this army, and as I watched the flames consume Maxson’s body, I set fire to all of the doubts that plagued me. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was written and edited to the following: 
> 
> Blue Monday- Health  
> Get It- BnW  
> Do You Remember- Jarryd James


	44. Chapter 44

#  **Deacon**

Drummer Boy handed me the binoculars, “Is that him?” 

I let out a heavy sigh as I took the binoculars from my fellow agent and raised them to my eyes. I chewed on the temple tip of my sunglasses in nervous expectation. I had never seen the base so crowded with soldiers, and this probably wasn’t all of them. According to Drummer Boy, they had been filling in for the last few hours, and still more and more showed up. It was a real wake up call to see the number of soldiers in one place, putting into perspective how vastly outnumbered we were in the Railroad. If they ever decided to invade us, we wouldn’t stand a chance in a fight. The thought made me nauseous. 

From the inner workings of the base, six Brotherhood of Steel soldiers carried a body to a pyre. The body’s face was covered in a black veil, and from this vantage point, any other identification would be impossible. I waited a few more moments to see if the first body was followed by a second, but it was the only one to emerge. 

“I...think so, just by the shape of the shoulders. No sign of Roxi?” I pulled away from the binoculars and put my sunglasses back on.

“Nothing. Maybe they’re keeping her prisoner on the ship?” 

“Maybe,” I sighed. “Or at the Cambridge Police Station. I don’t see a noose set up yet. God only knows what Maxson’s going to do to her.” 

Drummer Boy gulped, “He won’t be kind.” 

I crossed my arms and stared out to the Brotherhood’s Base of Operation, thinking back on this mess. Roxi was brave for returning after saving Danse. But Danse was worried- so worried in fact that he made a bee-line out of Sanctuary to save her from Maxson’s sadistic ways. I tried to plead with him before he left, I tried to tell him not to make Roxi’s efforts in vain. But he wouldn’t listen. He wanted to play the hero. All he did was get Roxi into trouble, and now he was dead- unable to save her from a cruel death at the hands of a crazed man they once respected as their _Elder._

“Anything on the radio?” I asked, hoping for some Brotherhood chatter. 

“Radio silence since they recalled the troops back to base.” 

“ _Fuck_ ,” I sighed and rubbed my head out of frustration. “Let’s get out of here before we’re spotted. I’ve seen enough.” 

We returned to HQ to the curious eyes of our leaders. Dez didn’t say anything, but with one look at my face, I’m sure she already knew the answer. She moved to the center of the room and took a few moments to collect her thoughts. 

“Everyone, we need to talk,” Dez called the agents together. “We need to act quickly against the Brotherhood. After all of the distractions, Maxson has encountered recently, I’m sure he’s going to want to escalate his agenda.” Her expression became dark and serious, “Prepare to mobilize. We need to hit the Brotherhood before they get to us first. Tomorrow night- we initiate the Rocket’s Red Glare plan.” 

There was a buzz of excitement and nervousness around the room after Dez’s speech. As much as I wanted to stick it to those Brotherhood bastards, the thought of launching an attack on them scared the hell out of me. It was _my_ plan. It was something I had come up with before I knew Roxi officially joined the Brotherhood. When I caught word that she had joined...I regretted even conjuring up that plan. Dez reminded me that Roxi was technically an enemy, even if I didn’t feel that way toward her. She had picked who she thought would take the fight to the Institute. 

Dez made her way to my dark corner of the room after her speech. She took one look at me and sighed before taking a seat on the ground next to me. I didn’t know what to say, so I stared down at the ground and took comfort in her presence. 

“No sign of her?” Dez asked quietly, looking around the room. 

“No, nothing. Not even a noose hung in the courtyard.” 

“Hmm, I see.” 

A long silence fell between us until the question finally made its way from my brain to my lips, “Dez, if I find her alive, do I have your permission to save her?” 

She looked at me from the corner of her eye, “I know she’s your friend, Deacon. But don’t put your life at risk for someone who chose the Brotherhood’s path.” 

“Dez, come on, she helped us out! More than _once_.” 

“I know. I didn’t tell you no, Deacon. I said not to risk your life. That ship is going to go up in flames, and you best be out of there before it does. And _don’t_ drag anyone else into it. You got me?” 

“Crystal clear, boss.” 

The following afternoon, Glory and I were putting the finishing touches on the C4 bombs we planned on planting inside the Prydwen. Glory was over the moon about blowing the Brotherhood to pieces. I was just keeping my focus on the C4 so I didn’t blow _us_ up instead. My one hope for tonight was to find Roxi alive and get her to safety. 

Once the C4 was packed up safely in our grab bags for tonight’s operation, I laid down on an open mattress to try to catch some Z’s. I knew I wasn’t going to have any restful sleep, but I needed to be ready for action tonight. After this was all over and the Brotherhood was finally out of the way, we could start to retrace the steps Roxi once took to get inside the Institute. We were so close, it was almost unbelievable. 

I must have fallen asleep, for the next thing I knew, Glory was shaking me awake in a panic. 

“Deacon, get the _fuck_ up!” 

“Wha-?”

“We have vertibirds inbound. Dez wants you, me, and Drummer Boy to get out front. _Now!_ ” 

I jumped to my feet. Glory started at a run in the direction of the catacombs where Drummer Boy was anxiously waiting for us. The rest of the agents were scrambling as they prepared to evacuate. _Fuck_ , _they got to us first after all_. The three of us rushed through the dark catacombs, running blind purely on memory as we navigated to the church. My heart was pounding in my chest, I could hear my blood rushing in my ears. 

We entered the church and ran to the entrance. I threw open the door to find four vertibirds landing down the street. One by one, power armor-clad soldiers marched out of the vertibirds and got into formation. In the center of the soldiers was another vertibird- probably the Elders. There was movement from that middle vertibird, and not long after they began to approach us. I grabbed the handle of my gun, ready for a fight. It would be a short fight, and I wouldn’t survive it.

From the center of the crowd emerged the Elder…and my jaw dropped.

  
“ _Roxi_?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was written and edited to the following: 
> 
> Collapse- Vancouver Sleep Clinic  
> Sudno- Molchat Doma


	45. Chapter 45

#  **Roxi**

There was a chill to the breeze as a storm lingered on the horizon. I pulled my jacket tight around my torso while watching the troops below move from task to task with their new orders. I had a sinking feeling in my stomach that something was brewing in the universe. I couldn’t explain it, but I felt the urgency to make a move if I was to secure the Brotherhood’s chances of surviving in the Commonwealth. We had several enemies, and if word got out about a change in command, a lot of people might find this to be a moment of great weakness in our defenses. The next forty-eight hours were going to be eventful, and I only could pray that we would be successful. 

“Elder Andrews,” Danse called over the sound of the wind, “We’re ready when you are, ma’am.” 

I took one last look over the tarmac before turning away. Danse extended his hand for me to take and assisted me up and into the vertibird. I took a seat and put on a headset to communicate with the pilots. Danse shut the door and secured his power armor helmet. Four other vertibirds would be accompanying, as insisted by Captain Kells for security reasons. Although I thought it was overkill, I agreed to his terms. 

The vertibirds were lowered and the engines all kicked on within seconds of each other. The mechanical arm holding the aircraft in place unhooked itself with a loud  _ clunk! _ The pilots maneuvered the vertibird into formation to fly in the middle of the four escorts before moving toward our location. During the short flight, I went over in my head what I wanted to say and the potential ways the conversation would go with the Railroad agents. I worried that they wouldn’t even give us the chance to speak- either they would be alerted by the sound of vertibirds and escape, or they would stand and fight immediately. 

After only a short five minutes, the vertibirds were already descending for a touchdown. Once on the ground, Danse held the door shut until all of the other Knights were out of their assigned aircraft and into position. He slid the door open once a signal was given and stepped out to clear the immediate area. Once Danse was satisfied that the immediate area was clear, he signaled me to exit. I stepped out of the vertibird and looked around the empty buildings. 

“Keep watch on the buildings,” I said, “They have eyes.” 

Danse signaled to Paladin Brandis, our newly appointed and fully cleared for duty Paladin, to keep watch. 

As I broke the line of Knights, I looked up to find Deacon, Glory, and an agent I didn’t know, standing on the stoop of the church that hosted their underground operation. Deacon’s jaw dropped, and I couldn’t help but smirk. Danse took his position next to me and removed his helmet. 

“ _ Roxi? _ ” Deacon gasped, taking a step forward. The soldiers behind me tensed up, raising their weapons, causing Deacon to step back and show his hands were clear of weapons. 

“Stand down,” I ordered along with a single correlating motion of my hand, followed by the sounds of the soldiers relaxing behind me. 

“Are you...you’re not...they  _ listened _ to you?” Deacon stammered pointing from me to the soldiers behind me. 

I chuckled, “They do now. I’ve taken the position of Elder with the death of Arthur Maxson. I wish to discuss our future as fellow factions in the Commonwealth.” 

“Maxson...he’s  _ dead _ ?” Deacon became visibly excited and relieved at the same time, letting out a combination of a laugh and a yelp. He turned and grabbed the agent I didn’t know by the shoulders, “Go tell Dez the news. Tell them to stop what they’re doing. Go! Now!” The agent ran inside as fast as he could. 

Glory turned to Deacon with a stern look, “I hope you know what you're doing.” 

“Of course I do, Glory.” Deacon turned back to me, “You know we can’t take all of your friends here, right?” 

“I understand,” I smiled. “It’ll just be me and Star Paladin Danse.” 

“ _ Star  _ Paladin, huh?” Deacon gave a half-smile. “Well...let’s go then.” 

Deacon and Glory turned to return inside of the church. I looked to Paladin Brandis and gave a hand single for them to surround the perimeter before following the Railroad agents. Danse entered the church first in case of an ambush. 

Deacon was lighting a lantern at the threshold of the catacombs, “I’m sure you remember all of these twists and turns, huh, Roxi? Oh, wait, shit, I’m sorry-  _ Elder Andrews _ ,” He cheekily smiled. 

I chuckled, “Barely. All I remember is that it’s unbelievably dark and smells like a flooded basement.” 

“A flooded basement that’s been sealed for fifty years,” Deacon laughed. “Alright, follow me.”

The four of us maneuvered through the catacombs by the light of Deacon’s lone lantern. Glory took up the rear, I’m sure with her hand on her gun just in case we didn’t stick to our word of peace. Danse stayed close behind me, untrusting the tense Glory. After several disorienting twists and turns, we came to the Railroad’s HQ. 

Desdemona was waiting for us at the round table with her fellow agents. She wore the same expression as our first encounter- cold and calculated. Deacon and Glory joined their fellow agents, leaving Danse and me as the center of attention. I couldn’t help but smirk, satisfied with the stunned expressions on all of the agent's faces. 

“Hello again, Roxi,” Desdemona said callously. 

“Desdemona,” I nodded, calm, and collected.

“This is definitely a surprise.” 

“I’m sure it is. I’m still adjusting myself,” I smiled.

“What does the Brotherhood want with us?” She asked sharply, cutting through the small talk and directly to the heart of this meeting. 

“The same thing you do- the elimination of the Institute.” 

“ _ Hmph _ . The elimination of synths, more likely.” 

I glanced toward Danse standing beside me for the slightest of seconds before locking eyes with the Railroad’s leader again. Desdemona's eyes left mine and stared at Danse for a long moment- I believe she was connecting the dots of Danse’s true identity. I spoke low but clear, “Our new goal is to end the synth program for good. But that leaves a gray area about the synths that are already in existence.” 

“You will cause no harm to those synths,” She warned with a sharp look.

I smirked, “That’s where the Railroad comes in. We are planning an attack on the Institute. In the chaos, I’m allowing your agents the chance to slip in and get the synths out.” 

The agents all turned and looked to one another, making sure they all heard me correctly. The expressions ranged from shock, confusion, sneers, and excitement. They all whispered to one another in disbelief. 

“I don’t believe you,” Desdemona answered. “Do you really think we’re going to believe that the Brotherhood of Steel would allow us to go in and free the synths?” 

I examined my nail beds and spoke in a cool tone, “It’s funny how many little details can be missed in the heat of battle.” I slowly looked back to Desdemona, “Get them out of the Institute before the battle is over and there won’t be anything to question.” 

“How can we guarantee that you won’t come for the synths after we free them? That you won’t have your soldiers hunt them down for sport?” 

“I wouldn’t waste my time standing here if I was just going to double-cross you. Get them out into the world and we won’t be able to tell the difference, and will be treated as any civilian.” 

Desdemona was starting to lose her calculated expression, “Allow me to discuss with my fellow agents.” 

“Of course, but I expect an answer before we leave. Neither of our factions can afford too much delay. We’ll wait near the catacombs.” 

I turned, closely followed by Danse, and exited the HQ. I sat myself down on the ledge outside of their little hideaway as Danse paced. We sat in silence for several minutes. I couldn’t hear any screaming between the Railroad agents from our position, so I hoped that was a good thing. I swung my legs and bounced the heel of my boots off of the concrete ledge out of boredom.

“It’s a risky move, Elder,” Danse said after a few minutes. 

“I know, but this will be better than fighting a two-sided war.” 

“ _ Hmph _ ,” Danse shook his head, underestimating the damage the Railroad could cause to our operations.

“That’s not a tactically advantageous attitude, Star Paladin,” I smirked. 

He threw a half-humored glance in my direction, “I trust your decision, Elder.” 

“When will you go back to calling me by my name?” I chuckled. 

“Maybe when I’m off duty,  _ ma’am _ ,” He smirked. I rolled my eyes at him. 

The door to the Railroads HQ opened and closed. I stood from my position on the floor and brushed the dirt off of my pants. Danse came to my side just as Deacon stepped into the light.

“Alright, Rox-  _ Elder _ , sorry,” Deacon gave another cheeky smile. “We have one condition, and then we can come to an agreement.” 

I raised an eyebrow, “What’s the condition?” 

“You take me and Drummer Boy onboard the Prydwen so we can correlate our attack on the Institute.” 

I let out a laugh, “Will you promise to  _ behave _ ?” 

“Oh, for sure! Scouts honor,” Deacon threw up a hand. 

Danse, who was glaring intensely at Deacon, growled, “It’s an incredible risk to our security.” 

“Listen,” Deacon said with the most amount of seriousness yet this conversation, “This is just Desdemona's way of making sure the Railroad isn’t going to get screwed over. Alright? Once we get the job done, we won’t be a bother anymore.”

I sighed, “Danse, I think we don’t have a choice.”

Danse looked into my eyes for a long moment before letting out a heavy sigh and a nod. 

“So...is that a yes?” Deacon asked. 

I turned and looked at him, “ _ Only _ if you and your friend dress and act as one of my soldiers, don’t cause any ruckus, and keep this plan a secret. It’s only for the next two days. Do you think you can handle that, oh master of disguises?” 

“You got it, Elder!” Deacon grinned and saluted like a pre-war American soldier, causing Danse immediate visible discomfort. 

I sighed, trying to suppress a laugh, “You have a lot to learn, buddy. I’m agreeing with the Railroad’s condition. Get ready to go. We have work to do.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to post this chapter along with the last one, but I played Among Us instead of editing. Lol, oops. But anyway- here it is (late).
> 
> This chapter was written and edited to the following:   
> Obedear- Purity Ring  
> Sudno- Molchat Doma  
> Sweet Dreams- Eurythmics (DJ DeepDink Remix)  
> Where's Your Head At- Jean Elan (Klass Remix)  
> My Type- Saint Motel


	46. Chapter 46

#  **Deacon**

Drummer Boy and I got the first-class vertibird experience riding with the Brotherhood’s newest Elder. Of course, before we could even get anywhere near the vertibird, the soldiers ripped through our belongings to make sure we didn’t have any weapons. Once we were allowed on board, we took our seats next to the Elder and waited for takeoff. Roxi was already on board with her headset on, giving her commands as if she had this job for years. With a thumbs up to Star Paladin Danse, Roxi signaled that she was ready to leave. In a swift motion, we were in the air. 

Roxi looked at Dummer Boy and called out over the roar of the engines, “What can we call you? We need a name- real or not.” 

Drummer Boy stared at her for a long moment. It had been a lifetime ago that he had used any other name outside of Drummer Boy. “Call me Max,” He shrugged. 

Roxi raised an eyebrow, “Max? Alright, we can work with that.” 

“Do I get a cool new name, too?” I asked with a smirk. 

“I don’t think so, buddy.” 

“Awe, come on. I could be Rex! That’s a pretty badass name for a Brotherhood lackey, right?” 

She rolled her eyes, “ _No_.” 

“Awe, no fun,” I smirked. 

Danse rolled his eyes before glaring at me, “This arrangement isn’t for _fun_.” 

“You wouldn’t know fun if it bit-”

“- _Deacon!_ ” Roxi snapped, “ _Quit_. I can’t keep all of the troops from kicking your ass on base for the next two days. Respect my soldiers and they’ll respect you.” 

The flight was short; we were already approaching the Prydwen by the end of our conversation. I took a good look at it, trying to memorize how the vertibirds approached- what calls the pilots used, names of those in the command tower, any little detail. Dez would want these details if things went sideways. If Roxi didn’t stick to her word, there was nothing else I could do- Rocket’s Red Glare would be an immediate go.

Our vertibird started to descend from the four escorts. At first, I thought it was to fly under the Prydwen and dock on the opposite side, but then it pulled away from the Prydwen’s course. I looked to Roxi to see if any inkling of confusion crossed her expression. She looked calm as she stared out of the window. _Was this planned?_

The vertibird touched down outside the barricade of the Base. Danse opened the door and stepped out, extending his hand for Roxi to take and helped her down. Drummer Boy and I shared a look of concern- we weren’t aboard the Prydwen, and that was an issue. Dez wanted us to map out the Prydwen for any signs of weakness inside. She wanted to know what they had on board in terms of numbers of soldiers and weaponry. Not all hope was lost- maybe Roxi planned on giving us the tour of the base before taking us aboard. I shrugged to Drummer Boy and followed the Elder and Star Paladin out of the vertibird. 

Roxi strutted forward, closely followed by Danse. At the gate, she was saluted by the two Knights standing guard. She saluted back and continued walking past the giant eyesore of a robot. From a distance the thing was massive- but being right underneath of the monster was awe-inspiring for horrifying reasons. 

“Hey, _uh,_ Elder, what is this thing?” I asked, staring up at its big ass head. 

“Deacon, meet Liberty Prime. Prime, meet Deacon,” She chuckled, barely looking over her shoulder as she continued onward. 

“Jesus _Christ_ ,” I muttered, giving a concerning glance to Drummer Boy who looked to be so nervous he was nauseous.

Roxi maneuvered through the base and into the rows of canvas tents that housed the overflow of troops. Any soldier caught in Roxi’s path saluted to her, some even offered their little _Ad Victoriam_ catchphrase. After several tents, she stopped at one and peeked her head inside. 

“Paladin Beckett?” She asked with a smile in her voice. 

“Elder!” Responded a man from inside with a pleasant tone.

Roxi slipped inside to continue the conversation. Danse stood outside, arms crossed and serious, keeping a close eye on the two Railroad agents in his midst. I shoved my hands into my pockets and looked around the camp, trying to appear nonchalant. Drummer Boy was staring at the ground- he was out of his element being in the field. He would often complain of the dullness of his job as a courier and wish for a chance to be a heavy in the field. Glory hated the Brotherhood bastards so much she couldn’t bring herself to fake it for this mission. Drummer Boy volunteered, but I think he quickly regretted his decision being surrounded by thousands of well-trained, lethal troops. 

Roxi stepped out of the tent after a few minutes, “Alright, you two. Paladin Beckett will be your sponsor for these next two days. You can stay here with him. Everything you’ll need has been delivered.” 

“Wait, wait, wait, we’re staying _here_?” I asked, looking at the tent in disbelief.

“We’re at full capacity on the Prydwen with everyone back on Base,” Roxi raised an eyebrow. “As I said- you’ll need to blend in with my soldiers for the time being. And, don’t worry, Paladin Beckett is fully aware that I have two specialized operatives dedicated to handling the synths at the Institute.” 

So that’s how she was twisting the story. Drummer Boy and I weren’t special guests from the Railroad. We were special agents within the Brotherhood assigned to a task. So, _this_ was how she was going to keep the soldiers from raising suspicion. 

“I thought we were going on the ship?” I nodded upward toward the zeppelin. My voice was a little more frantic than I had wanted, but I tried my best to cover it with a playful smirk. 

“You will- _when_ the time comes to correlate the attack on the Institute. Just as you requested,” There was a look in her eyes that told me she had read us like a book and found a loophole. She took notice of my frustration and calmly added, “Deacon, you’ve even admitted that Desdemona sent two of her agents as a stronghold against the Brotherhood.” 

I wanted to say something- to deny it and play it off, but the words would not come to me. The fact was I let that little bit of info slip, thinking it was helping convince her. But I had led onto more than I wanted. 

Roxi continued matter-of-factly, “Don’t think me stupid or blinded by our friendship. It’s a tactic to ensure that everything goes as planned. And if it doesn’t, I’m sure you have a counter-attack ready to launch.” She gauged my expression for a moment before softening her tone, “I can promise you I’m going to keep my word, or I wouldn’t have wasted the time to meet with you all. But, you have to remember, just as Desdemona is going to protect her people- I’m also going to protect _mine_. I think we all know what the most vulnerable target is on this Base. Just so you’re aware, my troops have been given orders to carry out our maximum security protocols since this morning. And our satellite positions around the Commonwealth are on high alert for any suspicious activity.”

There was an unfavorable glint in her eye as Roxi spoke. She was well aware of the resources she had at hand and how to effectively use them to the Brotherhood’s superior advantage. The troops were on edge and ready to defend against an attack, taking away the Railroad’s element of surprise and use of guerilla warfare. There was a tone in her voice that I dared called _excitement_. There wasn’t enough time to create a new plan, and being caught discussing such a matter would look like mutiny here on Brotherhood soil. 

Roxi took Dez’s one chance at a coup and turned it against her, creating a true stalemate. With a single wave of her hand, Elder Andrews could obliterate the Railroad’s counter-attack. Sound the alarm, and we’d die where we stood while Roxi successfully kept her own people safe. Truly, the Railroad’s only hope was that the Brotherhood would uphold their end of the bargain- forcing a neutral end to our faction standoff. 

“When are you going to let us in on the plans for the Institute?” 

She smiled lightly, “Allow me to give you the timetable that every soldier on this base is well aware of. We’re moving onto phase two- which will launch here in a few hours. We’re sending troops to MassFusion, and depending on the success of that mission, we can get Liberty Prime ready to move out. Once he’s up and operational, then we’ll bring you on board to discuss our plans for taking on the Institute. If we fail phase two...well, we’re going to need as many ideas brought to the table on how to take out the Institute.”

“What about making our plan with the Railroad?” 

“After we discuss the attack plans, you and _Max_ here can decide what course of action is best for you and your faction. I need no other details. My soldiers are going to be too distracted dealing with Institute security, and as long as you’re in Brotherhood colors, they won’t send fire your way.”

I stared at her for a long moment. I felt played, although we were the ones who wanted to gain access to betray her in the end- if needed. Was this the same Roxi that had sniped away enemies by rooftop so we could deliver a synth safely to a safe house? The same Roxi that, just the other day, risked her life to save Danse, her synth lover. She was going to throw everything away just for _him_. And now...it was as if she had been Elder for years. It made me wonder if she had been pulling strings in the dark until she reached the position she always wanted, like a puppet master. Regardless, there was no other way out of this agreement. 

“Alright, Elder,” I answered. “We’ll continue to trust you.” 

“I don’t plan on letting that trust go to waste,” She smiled. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, we have to start preparing for phase two.” 

I watched Elder Roxi Andrews and Star Paladin Danse walk away feeling a rollercoaster of emotions. Danse looked very proud of Roxi; I wondered if he had caught onto the loophole as quickly as she had. Danse had taught her well- too well, in fact. She was a force to be reckoned with as Elder, and I pitied all those that would stand in her way. With Elder Maxson, people expected violence and ruthlessness. Roxi...was on the path of exploiting weaknesses and causing internal implosions without firing a single bullet. I wasn’t sure which was more frightening...but at least, for now, Roxi was neutral with the Railroad. It was the Railroad’s only hope against the Brotherhood of Steel.

Drummer Boy shifted uncomfortably next to me, “Are you sure we can trust her?” 

I regarded Drummer Boy for a moment before returning my gaze to the new Elder. She playfully reached out and pushed Danse with one hand, barely even budging him. Danse turned his head and looked at her in a way that she jumped a step over to avoid his gamesome retaliation. She turned herself to walk backward as she spoke to him, a large smile on her face and love in her eyes. She must have said something to tease Danse, as he quickly jumped forward and caught her in his big metal arms, lifting her as she let out a laugh. They shared a quick kiss before he placed Roxi back on her feet and continued forward. Under all of that new protocol as Elder, Roxi was still herself.

I found myself smiling, “Yeah. We can trust her.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was written and edited to the following: 
> 
> Learn to Walk Again- Bad Wolves  
> Sudno- Molchat Doma  
> Ich Tu Dir Weh- Rammstein  
> Where's Your Head At- Jean Elan (Klass Remix)  
> Roslyn- Bon Iver & St. Vincent


	47. Chapter 47

#  **Roxi**

At 1800 hours, six vertibirds carrying both the assault and extraction teams left the Prydwen and made way for MassFusion. I watched from the forward deck with binoculars, feeling unease about staying on Base for this mission. Danse reassured me that the troops could handle themselves, and it was safer for me here aboard the ship. He was right, of course, but I felt like I should have been fighting alongside them.

“ _ Approaching target, _ ” Announced one of the pilots over the radio. 

“ _There are_ _ synths everywhere, engage them! _ ” Called out Proctor Ingram who was in charge of this operation. 

I sent a nervous glance in Danse’s direction before returning to my binoculars. I had a hunch that the Institute would be interested in MassFusion’s Beryllium Agitator. Whether it was for their own personal gain, or just to keep the Brotherhood’s hands off of it, I didn’t know for certain. It was a pain in our ass nevertheless. 

I watched as the vetribirds of the assault team circled the roof of MassFusion. I could see the muzzle flash from the miniguns versus the blue laser lights of the attacking synths. Each synth death was announced over the radio until they were all eliminated. The extraction team proceeded into the building, where our radio contact became spotty. The assault team set up camp outside of MassFusion, ready to jump into action to protect the Beryllium Agitator at all costs. 

I let out a heavy sigh and grasped the handrails before me. Our entire plan hinged on the success of this mission. If we failed, we could surely expect an attack from the Institute now that they knew what we were after. 

“I’m already realizing why Maxson drank so much,” I said to myself. I straightened and turned to Danse, “Now we wait.” 

“Now we wait,” Danse nodded. “You should try to get some rest, Elder.” 

I nodded, “As long as you promise to listen to the radio.” 

“Of course,” He smiled gently. 

We retired to my new quarters. I changed my clothes into a comfortable t-shirt and sweatpants while Danse set up the radio to its lowest setting. I laid on the bed and stared at the ceiling, listening to the low radio reports as they filtered in from the assault team standing by. The team's reports on the inside of MassFusion were still filled with static, but the responses from the assault team helped fill in the blanks of action. 

Danse took notice of my eavesdropping, “I thought you were going to rest.” 

“ _ Right _ ,” I smirked. “ _ Rest _ .” 

With a jokingly heavy sigh, Danse stood from his chair. He smiled as he approached and laid down beside me. I curled into him, resting my head on his shoulder. 

“I don’t think I like sitting back and waiting,” I whispered. 

“I know,” Danse said softly and kissed my forehead.

I reached up and ran my fingers through his hair, “You’ve been so worried about me, and yet I haven’t had a chance to ask you how you’re doing.” 

“I think things are going well,” Danse responded with a half-smile. 

“You know that’s not what I meant,” I hummed and kissed his cheek. “If you don’t wish to discuss it, I understand. But I’m always here to listen.” 

Danse took a long moment to respond, “I must admit that I have tried to avoid thinking about it entirely. But...when it does cross my mind I feel...an overwhelming amount of guilt.”

“What makes you feel guilty?” 

He sighed heavily, “Coming to grips with my identity has made me realize that everything about my past is a lie. I’ve lied throughout my  _ entire  _ existence. What hurts me the most is knowing that I’ve lied to you, and gave you false hope for the future.” 

“You never lied to me, Danse,” I kissed him on the cheek again. “To lie would be to have false intent. To lie means that you were in full knowledge of who you truly were and decided to hide it from everyone. You haven’t lied, you’ve just discovered the truth. And sometimes the truth isn’t what we want to hear.” 

He pulled me tight against him, “Thank you, Roxi, for believing in me.” 

“Of course, my love,” I smiled and kissed the corner of his mouth. “You have always believed in me. Now it’s my turn to return the favor.” 

“I...do regret not being able to give you the life we dreamed about outside of the Brotherhood.” 

“Oh,” I chuckled and shook my head, “Don’t worry about that.” 

“Roxi...it made you happy to dream about us settling down and having a family of our own. I...can’t provide that anymore.” 

“Having you in my life means everything to me,” I whispered sweetly. “Kids were a nice thought, but... it was never the highest on my priority list in life; even pre-war. Don't think for a  _ second _ that you crushed a dream of mine. As long as I have you and your love, that’s enough for me.”

Danse brushed back my hair with his gentle fingertips, “Are you sure?” 

“One-hundred-and-ten-percent sure,  _ Star Paladin _ ,” I smiled. “Besides, I’m not planning on stepping down as Elder  _ any _ time soon.” 

Danse chuckled, “Ad Victoriam.” 

“Ad Victoriam,” I smiled and kissed him sweetly, “I love you.” 

“I love you more than you know.” 

At 2000 hours, we received word from the troops at MassFusion that the mission was a success and they were preparing for extraction. I rolled out of bed and got myself dressed to meet the teams on the flight deck as they returned. By 2030 hours, the troops had returned victorious and with high morale. The vertibird that carried the Beryllium Agitator landed outside of the Base. Proctor Ingram’s team of scribes rushed to the vertibird and escorted the Beryllium Agitator with care. It would take a few hours for the installation and the proper stability testing to be completed, but there was an excitement that ran through the soldiers that I hadn’t seen before.

I called the most important meeting of the night- all Officers and my two secret agents to meet in the Command Room at 2100 hours. Everyone reported, prompt and eager, to discuss our final plans to attack the Institute. We surrounded a table that was covered in maps of the local area, all sharing the same look of seriousness. 

“Proctor Ingram, how’s Prime looking?” I asked. 

“The Beryllium Agitator is in place, ma’am. Dr. Li is running a few stabilization tests as we speak.”

“Perfect,” I nodded. “Let’s get his nukes loaded and ready for deployment as well.” 

“Yes, ma’am,” Ingram nodded. 

“Now,” I sighed and cracked my knuckles as I looked over the maps. “Prime is going to be auto-locked onto this spot here,” I pointed at the C.I.T. courtyard. “Once he’s in place, his sensors will pick up the sweet spot and blow a hole open so we can get inside. The Institute more than likely has their eyes on us, and that means they’re going to start sending synths our way. Prime’s going to need cover if we want him to get to CIT in one piece…”

The meeting went on for two hours as we discussed our plans. There was a concern for groups such as Gunners and Raiders in the vicinity that might get caught up in the crossfire. There was a concern for the safety of the Base while the mass majority of the troops focused on the Institute. We had to choose the troops to send, and the troops to stand guard. Finally, just as I was about to conclude the meeting, a hand was raised near the back. 

“Hey, Elder, I have a question,” Spoke Deacon from behind the wall of Officers. 

“Of course, Deacon,” I said, suppressing a smile. 

“What happens if Prime blows a fuse tonight?”

I barely looked up from the map I was focusing on, “Well, Deacon, it’s not like you don’t have a strong history of bomb-making.” There was a stunned silence around the room, prompting me to look up. “What? We built a bomb and blew up the basement of Fort Hagen once.” Some of the expressions around the room changed from concerned to amused. I shrugged my shoulders, and muttered, “Pre-Brotherhood days. Any questions? Anything that we’re missing?” 

“No, ma’am,” Returned the Officers with confidence. 

“Good,” I straightened myself and looked around the room. “Prepare the troops. Make sure they are well equipped and well-rested. We attack at dawn.” 

The Officers filed out of the room, leaving Deacon and  _ Max _ with me and Danse. I waved the two Railroad agents over to the maps so they could see what they were missing during the meeting. Deacon looked over the maps with intensity, tracing the lines we drew for routes with his fingers. 

“May I make a suggestion?” I asked after silently watching him for a few minutes. 

“Sure thing, Boss,” Deacon said distantly as he pulled his attention from the table. 

“We’ll arrange transport for the two of you to eliminate the risk of putting you guys in the field. Let us drop into the Institute first. Get yourselves situated here,” I pointed to the right wall near the CIT courtyard, “And come in for your attack. If you’re behind the line of fire you should be protected.” 

“I was thinking of a similar plan,” He nodded. “I need to get the word to HQ. Any way you can help with that?” 

I smiled, “Near the end of the flight deck is an area currently being used as a storage hold. There’s a radio set up in there that you can use. But be careful not to raise suspicion from the soldiers aboard. Shift change is at 0000 hours, and Paladin Beckett will start looking if you take too long. Do what you wish with that information.”   
Deacon smirked, “Thanks, Roxi.” 

“You’re welcome,” I smiled.

I held out my fist to him. There was some hesitation, but Deacon’s face lit up with a grin. We went through our secret handshake for the first time since he came to find me in Diamond City after returning from the Brotherhood. Once the handshake was finished, we pulled each other into a tight embrace. It brought on the nervousness I was trying to suppress the entire meeting. Tomorrow morning would bring us the unknown. It would bring us victory…or it would bring us death. Either way, the clock was ticking. 

“Be careful tomorrow, Deacon,” I whispered. 

“You too, Rox. This has been such a long time coming and...I never thought that this would be how it happened.” 

I pulled from the hug, “Opportunity seldom knocks twice. Good luck tomorrow.” 

“What is it you guys say? Ad Victoria?” 

I snorted, “Ad  _ victoriam _ .” 

“Yeah, that. Do that,” Deacon smirked. 


	48. Chapter 48

#  **Deacon**

_ March 11th, 2289  _

_ 5:55AM  _

  
  


I stood amongst the Brotherhood soldiers lined up on the Base facing Liberty Prime. Standing in the massive lineup gave me a new perspective on the Brotherhood’s numbers. The soldiers were all at attention, packed to the brim with weapons and ammo. Some had modded up Power Armor suits, while others just wore army fatigues- but regardless, they were intimidating. I gave the Brotherhood a lot of shit and made fun of them for their soldier ways to help soften the pit in my stomach that reminded me how much of a threat they truly were. I felt extremely uncomfortable waiting for Roxi’s signal to move out. I wished she would just get it over with already so I could skip out of line with Drummer Boy and onto our assigned vertibird.

At long last, Elder Roxi Andrews made her appearance, along with her entourage of Officers, on a platform before Liberty Prime. She exuded confidence in her new Brotherhood patched bomber jacket as she strutted across the platform in her black knee-high combat boots. She turned and looked up at the robot while speaking with two ladies that had been pushing computer buttons on the platform all morning. They all nodded in agreement before the two ladies went back to work. Roxi looked out over the sea of troops and folded her hands behind her back. She looked stoic. Calculated. Prepared. She glanced back to her two friends on the computers and nodded once. The ladies punched a few buttons- and Prime roared to life. 

“FUSION CORE...REINITIALIZED. LIBERTY PRIME, FULL SYSTEMS ANALYSIS. ALL SYSTEMS NOMINAL. WEAPONS: HOT. MISSION: THE DESTRUCTION OF ANY AND ALL CHINESE COMMUNISTS.” 

_ Holy shit _ . The robot ripped down part of the scaffolding that was in its way with a single swipe of its hand. It took a step and leaned forward, breaking itself free of the cables that were attached to its back. 

“PROBABILITY OF CHINESE VICTORY: IMPOSSIBLE.” 

“Brotherhood!” Yelled one of the Paladin’s nearby, “Salute!” 

I jumped into the salute, following the lead of those around me as they shouted  _ “Ad Victoriam!” _ Roxi looked over the soldiers again, a smirk pulling at her lips. I knew on the inside she was geeking-out and it was taking all she had to hold it in.

Roxi signaled with her hands that it was go-time; she split the sea of soldiers with two fingers and then pointed forward with one. The soldiers broke from their form and collected into their groups. Drummer Boy and I stepped out of line and started to head for the vertibirds on standby. Liberty Prime turned and began marching off for the Institute while yapping about democracy and freedom. 

The sound of gunfire drifted through the streets and bounced off the nearby buildings before Drummer Boy and I even made it to our assigned vertibird. The only thing that numbed the sound of return fire was the vertibirds turning on and taking off when it was their time to leave. Once we were buckled in, the vertibird roared to life and lifted from the ground.

The flight only took a few minutes, and we touched down about a block away from the C.I.T. courtyard. Drummer Boy and I jumped from the vertibird and jogged up the street to meet the rest of the team. The first person I saw from the Railroad was Dez as she peeked her head around the corner of their hiding spot. We rushed into hiding just as the sounds of gunfire started to become louder. The entire crew was here- it was good to see.

“Deacon, Drummer Boy,” She sighed with relief. “Is everything going as planned?” 

“So far so good,” I nodded. 

“Man, did you  _ see  _ that robot they have?” Tinker Tom said as he looked over his barricade toward the oncoming army. 

“It’s nothing to mess with. That thing is loaded up with some sort of nuke pack. Stay out of its way,” I warned. 

“Figures the Brotherhood would hold onto something so destructive,” Dez shook her head.

“We’re fucked if they decided to double-cross us,” Glory growled. “You know that, right, Deacon?” 

“Roxi isn’t going to double-cross us. Let’s just stick to the plan.” 

Glory rolled her eyes, “As long as I get to save some synths.” 

Liberty Prime stomped its way into view on the next street over. The entire team ducked down in case it decided we were targets. Once it was out of range, we peeked through the rubble that was once the right-wing of C.I.T. as the robot reached the courtyard. Several soldiers rushed into the courtyard as synths began to teleport in and attack. A vertibird touched down on the opposite side of the university grounds. Roxi and Danse stepped out amidst the chaos, both with weapons in hand, and began fighting alongside their soldiers. 

“Get ready guys,” I called over the noise. “It’s almost showtime.”


	49. Chapter 49

#  **Roxi**

_ March 11th, 2289 _

_ 0630 Hours _

Prime started to scan the walls of C.I.T., looking for the weak spot for our point of entrance. Synths started to pop up everywhere and immediately opened fire. My soldiers trained their weapons on the synths before they even fully materialized from teleporting. The sound of minigun and laser rifle fire was deafening, causing my ears to ring. Danse and I shot down a few of the synths encroaching on Prime. 

“Keep them off Prime!” I yelled out to the nearest soldiers that could hear. They echoed my order to those in earshot. 

Prime moved from his position and began scanning the center of the courtyard. He locked onto the weak spot and gave a warning to those standing by to use caution and move to a safe position. I watched in awe as the robot’s laser eye sent a strong red beam toward the ground. The heat from the laser felt like the heat from the engine blast at ArcJet, forcing those of us not in power armor to turn away and shield ourselves. When Prime was finished, a scorched and smoking hole was blown into the Earth. The robot, satisfied with its work, turned and began patrolling the area while spewing the entire Declaration of Independence. 

“Alright. Let’s go,” I called out as a tinge of new nerves washed over me.  _ This was it _ . 

Several eager soldiers jumped into the hole and led the charge into the Institute. Danse and I stayed behind to allow the soldiers to advance before us. As the last few trickled inside the Institute, I glanced to the right-wing of the courtyard to find Deacon slowly inching his gang forward. I waved for him to advance his team. The Railroad members rushed forward and jumped inside, looking just as eager as my own soldiers. 

Danse turned to me, “Ready, Elder?” 

I took a deep breath, “Ready, Star Paladin.” 


	50. Chapter 50

#  **Deacon**

We rushed through the halls of the Institute, finding our way down to the main level. We barely had a moment to look around the massive place while dodging stray fire from the Brotherhood soldiers and Institute security. Some of the scientists had already surrendered and were on their knees in the center of the great circular concourse. Others were trying to fight back against the soldiers. I had the misfortune of watching an Institute scientist get shot in the skull by a Brotherhood shotgun. Gore splattered against the white walls while the body collapsed onto the floor.  _ Stay behind the line of fire, _ I reminded myself as we snuck around the perimeter. 

Just before reaching the entrance to the Robotics department, I turned in time to witness Roxi and Danse stepping into the concourse and observe the battle before them. Roxi looked calm and collected, as the Elder of an army should. Danse looked proud standing next to her, gun at the ready to protect his Elder. I turned my back on the war raging in the Institute’s center and entered the Robotics department without any more hesitation. 

We rushed down the hallways, entering every holding cell that newly processed synths were being kept in, and opened the doors. They all looked terrified, but when they realized that we were here to help, a bright excitement entered their eyes. 

“You’re here to save us?” Asked a bald synth, stunned. 

“Yes, we’re here to free you,” Dez said proudly. “We need to move fast before they start busting down doors.” 

“There’s mining equipment in one of the newly excavated sublevels,” The bald synth said, stuttering with adrenaline. “Several of us have been assigned to the expansion routes, and we believe we may have found a way out. Th-through the city’s old sewer! We can use it to our advantage and get ourselves out of here! The guards are probably gone to help fight off the attackers!” 

Dez looked at me, “It might be easier than trying to use the teleporter.” 

I nodded, “Gross destination but yeah, it’s most likely safer.”

“Show us the way and we’ll do everything to get you all out safely. Are there more of you?”

“Yes,” Answered the synth, “We know where they are.” 

“Good. Get as many out as you can. Let’s roll.” 

The bald synth’s designation was G2-55; he led the train of synth escapees to the tunnels while we Railroad agents followed behind. A few volunteer synths that knew the way went to release the other captives so they could join us. We rushed through the labyrinth of white-walled hallways that started to look the same after a few twists and turns. There was still a war raging between the Institute security and the Brotherhood soldiers. It sounded like it was turning more into a deadly game of hide and seek with long pauses in firing until an enemy showed itself and rapid-fire ensued. 

G2-55’s voice echoed through the hallway as he ushered the synth’s inside the construction site. Our hurried footsteps created a cadence as we moved as a herd through the hallway. Just as our rhythmic cadence sounded like success, another set of rushed footfalls began to echo from behind us. I turned to look at those approaching, expecting to see the other group of synths catching up. But instead, I found four Coursers heading toward us with laser rifles in hand. 

“ _ RUN! _ ” I screamed just as the coursers set up to begin shooting. 

The synths ahead of me screamed and began to run, creating chaos in the hallway. Glory turned with her minigun and began firing back, keeping the coursers far back enough that we could maintain our distance. As I aimed to fire at one of the Coursers, a laser shot narrowly missed my leg. Dez hit a courser in the arm with a shot from a railway rifle- it blew its arm off but the goddamn thing kept advancing. The other Railroad agents must have gone ahead to help set up some sort of ambush as a last line of defense. 

Glory’s minigun suddenly jammed, eliminating the line of bullet scattering defense we had maintained as we pushed back through the hall. The Coursers took the chance to reload while dodging the shots Dez and I peppered them with.

“ _ Fuck _ !” Glory yelled, desperately trying to get the minigun to work again without. 

I glanced over my shoulder- we were almost into the tunnels and the other Railroad agents were readying to jump into action once we were out of their way. I turned just in time for the Coursers to begin their assault again. I landed a shot on the Courser that’s arm had been destroyed and it fell over- dead. Glory let out a shriek; she was hit in the abdomen, causing her to clutch the wound with one hand and grab the minigun with the other. 

“ _ Glory! _ ” I yelled. “Come on,” I grabbed her and started to drag her back with me while shooting one-handed. 

There were maybe six feet left until we were safe. Dez fired again, hitting a Courser directly in the head and killing it instantly. I shot my last three shots, hitting one in the leg but it wasn’t enough to even deter its advance. I couldn’t reload while dragging Glory. 

“Guys! Come on!” Yelled Tinker Tom from behind us, “We gotta blow this thing!  _ Come on! _ ”

Glory pulled from my grasp, “Go, Deacon! Go! I’ll hold them off.”

“No, Glory, they’re going to blow the entrance up! You won’t make it!”

“I’m already dying, Deac! Just  _ go! _ ” She pulled completely from my grasp and slumped onto the floor. 

Glory grasped her minigun and was able to dislodge the jam. She began to send rapid-fire into the oncoming Coursers. I tried to stay with her, these Coursers couldn’t hold out forever. 

“ _ Deacon we have to blow it now! _ ” Tinker Tom screamed. 

Dez grabbed me from behind and started to force me backward. I tried to fight her, but Tinker Tom was screaming that it had to be blown. The Coursers were coming too close to the tunnels, and if they couldn’t detonate the C4 with enough time to escape, we would all die here. I turned and ran with Dez into the safety of the tunnels. Glory screamed a war-cry as she peppered the Coursers with shots.

Tinker Tom and Drummer Boy hit the detonation buttons on their respective bombs and ran into the tunnels. 

_ BOOM! _

The entire place shook as the entrance collapsed. Glory and the Coursers succumbed to the falling boulders, and the gunfire ceased. I let out a pained breath. Dez, Tinker Tom, Drummer Boy, and I shared grieving and guilty looks. 

“We have to keep moving,” Dez said, obviously holding back tears by the strain in her voice. “We need to get these synths to safety. For Glory.” 

“For Glory,” We echoed. 


	51. Chapter 51

#  **Roxi**

I stood outside of the Director’s Quarters, building up the courage to face my nephew once again. I was accompanied by Danse and two other Knights to act as door guards while this discussion took place. With a deep breath, I pushed open the door and stepped into Shaun’s quarters, Danse following close behind me. 

Shaun was resting in his hospital bed hooked to IVs and monitors. His health had taken a great decline since I had left nearly a month ago. He looked pale with dark circles under his eyes. His face was sunken in, and his hands looked like skin and bone. We regarded each other with the same amount of distaste for a long moment. As Shaun tried to speak he was interrupted with a deep, wet cough- a few droplets of blood escaped his lips. 

“How honored I am to be visited by the newest Elder of the Brotherhood,” Shaun said after his coughing fit was subdued, voice raspy and weak.

I raised an eyebrow, “Business is business. War is war.” 

“Hmph. Tell me, when you left the Institute, did you know what fate had in store for you? Or did it conveniently fall into your lap?” 

“Neither,” I frowned. 

“And what fate will the Institute befall now that the Brotherhood has breached it’s doors, hm?” 

I took a few steps closer to his bed, placing my hands behind my back, “A total seizure. The end to the spying and kidnapping. An end to the synth production.” 

“And you’re going to take it for yourself?” He looked amused and began to laugh, bringing on another coughing fit. “My people won’t let you take it.” 

A smirk curled at my lips, “Unfortunately for you and your  _ people _ , ninety-percent of them surrendered on site. Those that stood to fight have already fallen.” 

Shaun looked displeased and switched his attention to Danse, “And I see you spared this synth’s life. M7-97, a runaway, like many other misguided synths. Very  _ unlike _ the Brotherhood to take pity on beings they don’t understand. You know, M7, you were training to be a Courser. It’s no wonder that you’ve found yourself in a position of power within the militant Brotherhood.” 

Danse looked at Shaun with disgust but denied him the satisfaction of replying. 

Shaun’s eyes drifted back to mine, “So why are you here? To watch me die? To say goodbye? To make amends?” 

I stayed silent for a long moment before shrugging, “We’re still family.” 

“You severed that tie when you left the Institute to return to the Brotherhood. When you convinced one of our best scientists to leave  _ us _ . Tell me, when you first came to the Institute, was there even the slightest intent to stay? To change?” 

“No,” I said sternly. “I only came here for  _ you _ .” 

He shifted in his bed and glared at me, “The  _ ties _ of family. You don’t care about our family. Look at you- you’re here to destroy everything I’ve worked for instead of understanding what we’ve tried to achieve all these years. My life’s work- and you’re going to end it.” 

“If you were truly helping others, then I would have stayed. I would have wanted to be a part of it! But instead, you were too caught up in playing God.” 

He let out a short laugh, “There it is. There’s the Brotherhood in you. Which reminds me. Since you’re here to destroy everything we’ve worked so hard to achieve, let me take care of a missing link for you.” His eyes turned upon Danse once again, “M7-97, initialize factory reset-” 

“- _ No! _ ” I shrieked, “Don’t!” 

“-Foxtrot, Three, Zero-” 

“ _ -No! _ ” I screamed and pulled out my .45 pistol, aiming for Shaun’s head. My hand was trembling as tears spilled from my eyes. Shaun paused, a dangerous smirk on his lips as he looked at me with sickening joy. “ _ Don’t  _ you fucking take him from me.  _ Don’t you fucking dare _ ,” I growled. 

“I’m a dying man, Roxi. A gun to my head will only help speed things along.” 

I cocked back the hammer and aimed for his blanket covered knee instead, “I’ll put you through more agony than you’re already in and watch you bleed out. Don’t fucking try me.” 

“ _ Roxi _ ,” Danse calmly said from the corner of the room. “Don’t let him turn you into a monster.”

Tears flooded down my cheeks, “I’m not letting him take you from me, Danse.” 

Shaun’s eyes traveled from mine to Danse again before returning, “You love a synth.” 

“Of course I love him,” I whispered. “He’s the only good thing that’s happened to me in this  _ godforsaken wasteland _ .  _ Don’t _ you  _ dare  _ take him from  _ me _ .” 

“Very unlike the Brotherhood,” Shaun repeated his earlier comment. “And what of the other synths? What are you going to do to them?” 

“They’re already taken care of, courtesy of my friends in the Railroad.” 

“Ah, I see.” 

Shaun looked at one of his IV poles for a long moment before starting into a long coughing fit. He tried to cover his mouth, but the blood quickly stained his clothing. As his cough started to waiver, he waved me to come closer. I inched my way around the hospital bed, keeping my gun cautiously raised. Shaun pulled a vile of liquid from his hospital gown pocket. 

His voice was barely a whisper, “I apologize for the dramatics, but I wanted to see the  _ real  _ you. I wanted to see the truth. Take this,” He pressed the vile into my hand, “I know you disagree with our plans for the Gen-4s. But allow this to give you a small shred of happiness in a world that is nothing but anguish.” 

I lowered my gun as I looked at the vial and read the label. My heart pounded in my chest as I rolled the vial carefully in my hand with my thumb. I tucked the vial away in a secure pocket inside of my jacket before looking up to my nephew. He smiled lightly, blood staining his mouth and white beard.

“I think I got my intelligence from you,” Shaun nodded.

“We would’ve been the black sheep of the family,” I tried to smile. 

“Please...don’t destroy  _ everything _ .” 

“We’re not going to destroy everything. I just want to make things better. For  _ everyone _ .”

Shaun nodded once before turning his attention to the medical equipment nearby. He grasped the IV pole next to him and pushed in a code on the computerized pump. He hit the  _ enter _ button, followed by a loud string of beeps from the machine. Shaun relaxed into the bed, his eyes rolling into the back until his eyelids fluttered to a close. The vital sign monitors rang out like sirens, a desperate attempt to alert the medical staff that would not come. His EKG slowed to a flat line.

Danse stepped to my side as I stared at Shaun’s body. He stepped out of his power armor, placing a hand on my shoulder. I turned into him, wrapping my arms around him and burying my head into his chest with a sob. My head spun with the events that had unfolded. Danse was still Danse- his reset code was never fully finished, and for that I was relieved. My last living family member was dead- I had spent months on end trying to find him since leaving Vault 111, and in the end, we were bound to be enemies. With Shaun’s death, the Institute was officially ours to take for the Brotherhood. 

“Roxi,” Danse whispered and rubbed my back, “it’s ours. The Institute...is  _ ours _ .” He sounded as if he was in disbelief. 

“We did it,” I said with a sniffle from my earlier sobs. “Have one of the guards get his doctor.” 

Danse pulled away and spoke to one of the guards. A few minutes later, the guard returned with Shaun’s doctor. He gave a distasteful look in my direction before examining his patient. With a heavy sigh, the doctor bowed his head. 

“Father is... _ dead _ ,” The doctor said. 

The doctor proceeded with the necessary post-mortem care. I took a few seconds to gather myself and planned what I was going to say to those waiting in the great hall. After a few quiet minutes, I walked out to the balcony of Shaun’s quarters. I looked upon my soldiers that stood on watch around the perimeter of the great hall. In the center of the room sat the scientists that surrendered. Slowly their eyes turned upon me.

“Shaun is dead,” I called out, my voice echoed through the hall. “The Institute belongs to the Brotherhood of Steel!” 

The scientists slumped in defeat. The soldiers shouted in celebration. Screams of  _ Ad Victoriam! _ Chants of  _ Long Live Elder Andrews! _ It was bittersweet to hear their excitement. Danse stepped beside me, placing his hand on my back. He had yet to return to his power armor. I turned to him, putting myself on my tiptoes and wrapping my arms around his neck. Without a second thought, I kissed him with all of the passion I could muster. Danse, probably in a state of shock, was slow to place his arms around me. But as he became enthralled with the kiss, his arms tightened around my waist and lifted me upward. 

The war was over. We were at peace, although the work was far from over. 


	52. Chapter 52

#  **MacCready**

_March 11th, 2289_

_8:22 AM_

Duncan slurped down the last of his fresh-squeezed mutfruit juice while I counted out the caps for our waitress. Eating breakfast at the newly established Red Rocket Diner outside of Sanctuary was our new Monday and Saturday morning tradition. The place was a hit since they opened a few months ago and attracted a crowd of traders, drifters, and stationed Minutemen.

Our waitress bounced over after clearing the table behind us, “All set?” 

“Here’s the caps, keep the change,” I winked. 

She blushed, “Thank you, RJ. I’ll see you Saturday, then?”

“You can count on it, Bonnie,” I smiled.

“See you Saturday, Duncan!” Bonnie smiled. Duncan smiled shyly and nodded, wiping his face with his sleeve. 

I gathered up my things from the unoccupied chair, “Ready, kiddo?”

“Yup!” Duncan said, hopping down from his chair.

Duncan and I made for the door, just as a voice called from the kitchen. I turned to find the owner of the diner, Robert, wiping his razorgrain flour-covered hands on a towel. He wore his typical beaming grin as he walked to meet us. 

“How ya doin’, Mac?” He said, extending his hand to shake.

I grasped his hand and endured his overpowered handshake, “Can’t complain, Rob. How’s business?” 

“Great! We’re seeing more and more traffic every week!” 

“That’s great. We love coming here,” I motioned to Duncan who was eyeing up the bakery case. “Which reminds me, we’re cutting the razorgrain this week. Should have it to you by weeks end.” 

“Ah! Perfect. I’m heading to Diamond City this weekend for some supplies. But my daughter, Genie, will be here to pay ya.”

I felt my face start to turn red and tried to keep myself from grinning. I was sweet on Genie. She was a beautiful lady around my age. We had a lot in common. We were both single parents with kids around the same age. She lost her husband three years ago when they were relocating from the Appalachian wasteland. Genie did the baking for the diner and _God_ did she make some fantastic stuff. We’ve held several long conversations, but I never gained enough courage to ask her out. 

“Sounds like a plan, Rob,” I smirked. “Hey, let me get a few of those cookies Duncan’s eyeing up.” 

“Of course! Of course,” Rob smiled and moved to the bakery case to help Duncan pick out his selection. 

Duncan- now with a large bag of cookies and a grin from ear to ear, and I started our walk back to Sanctuary. It was unbelievable how much this area had changed since I first came here. Sanctuary had expanded outside of its walls, now boasting several acres of land that stretched from the Red Rocket Diner to the Abernathy family farm. Although living on the outside of the walls posed a greater threat, they were covered by the quick response of the Minutemen stationed nearby. Trade was up. There was a surplus of goods. And raider attacks were at an all-time low in this region. Relocating my family here was the best decision I had ever made, and I know most families felt the same. 

As we approached the gates to Sanctuary, I waved up to Preston in the watchtower. The gates opened and we stepped inside the town walls. 

“Hey, Mac,” Preston called down, “Have you listened to the radio at all today?” 

I turned, shielding my eyes from the morning sun, “No, can’t say I have.” 

“You better come up and take a listen.” 

I sighed and turned to Duncan, “Go ahead home, Duncan. Be sure to share your cookies with your grandparents.” 

“Okay, Dad! Love you!” Duncan said as he rushed off. 

“Love you, too, kiddo.” 

I climbed up to the watchtower to join Preston. A song was currently playing on Diamond City radio, nearing its end. 

“What’s up?” I asked, taking a seat on a corner stool. 

“Oh, just you wait,” Preston snickered. “You’re going to shit your pants.” 

“ _Welcome back to Wake Up Wasteland!_ ” Called Piper as the last part of the song faded out, “ _And boy things were happening this morning. If you’re just joining us, or if you slept through the sounds of war that happened only a few blocks away, let’s get you caught up. Our handy-dandy Ham radio caught the Brotherhood of Steel celebrating a huge victory over the Institute! The battle started right at sunrise this morning, and the city still smells like gunpowder and ozone.”_

_“And that’s not even the most interesting part,”_ Added her co-host, Travis Miles. _“A few times we’ve heard them call out a victory cry, glorifying their Elder. But who it is might surprise you. Apparently, Elder Maxson isn’t the big man in charge anymore. The name they’re yelling? Roxi Andrews! Our famous vault dweller!”_

My jaw hit the floor. I stared up at Preston who was suppressing a laugh. There was _no_ way. _None_. Preston told me about all the drama a few days ago with Danse and Roxi. What the fuc- _freak_ happened? We thought they were both good as dead, especially since Danse returned to the Brotherhood for whatever stupid reason that went through his robot brain. 

“ _Of course, we haven’t confirmed this information yet. But that’s what it sure sounds like,”_ Piper said. “ _Publick Occurrences will be trying to investigate more into the matter, so expect an article in the coming days! For now, what we can safely say is that the Institute is no more! Well...at least not as we knew it. Or_ didn’t _know it. And now the Brotherhood has control of it now. So...I have no idea if that’s an improvement. We’d love to hear your comments! Write to us or stop by if you're here in the Great Green Jewel to weigh in on the subject!”_

Preston turned the radio off, “Welp. Now you know, Mac.” 

“Are they _serious_?” 

He shrugged, “Sure sounds like it. I gotta say, this morning we heard quite a lot of distant commotion from that direction.”

  
“And Roxi...is their Elder?” 

“Apparently. That means Maxson must have been overthrown.” 

“Yeah,” I snorted, “Thrown over the side of that stupid blimp.” 

Preston chuckled for a moment before crossing his arms and becoming serious. “I only hope that this bodes well for us. If Roxi really is the Elder, she’s inheriting all of Maxson’s bad blood. I’m willing to bet she doesn’t know the half of it.”

  
I shrugged, “I might have given her a lot of shit in the past, but she’s observant. She probably had a hunch. And she most definitely has a plan. God only knows _what_ it is.” 

“Well, I’m going to wait until she makes the first move.”

“Probably for the best,” I nodded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was written and edited to the following: 
> 
> Oops!- Yung Gravy  
> Gravy Train- Yung Gravy


	53. Chapter 53

#  **Deacon**

_ March 11th, 2289 _

_ 11:47 PM _

It took the entire day, but we accomplished our mission. The synths were stationed in our safehouses, filling them all to captivity until we could make an organized effort to get them new identities and new homes. All of our agents hand their hands full, but at least we didn’t have to worry about the Institute or the Brotherhood tracking us down.

With all of the chaos, we only had one casualty. Glory. She would be sorely missed within the Railroad. She was a spitfire who never backed down from a fight and died doing what she always dreamed of- freeing her kind from the Institute. I wish she could have lived to see this. To witness a sea of synths stepping out into the sunlight for the first time in their lives after navigating a disgusting labyrinth of the city’s old sewer system. A lot of them cried. Some of them dropped to their knees and touched the Earth’s surface in amazement. Others jumped and ran about, filled with excitement about their newfound freedom. Although they might not know what to do next, or where to go, or even how to live in the wasteland, it was the freedom they wanted so desperately. 

What would we do now that there was no enemy to fight? Once the synths were settled into their new lives and no longer required a helpful and protective Railroad agent to show them the way? It might take some time before it would be a concern. I hadn’t had reserves about my own future since joining the Railroad. For several years, my concern for the future revolved around ending the Institute and rescuing synths. Soon, I would be back to being a normal wastelander. Maybe a few of us from HQ would stick together. Diamond City always held promise…

“You alright, Deacon?” Dez said softly. She looked as exhausted as I felt. 

“Just thinking about what comes next,” I answered, looking over the settled synths from the second story of the warehouse. 

“A new way of life,” Dez replied calmly. 

“I wish Glory could have been here,” I sighed. 

Dez placed a hand on my shoulder, “Me too, Deacon. Me too.”


	54. Chapter 54 (NSFW)

#  **Roxi**

_ March 15th, 2289 _

I flopped down onto my bed, fresh out of the shower with wet hair and dressed in comfortable clothes. Since overtaking the Institute, the work had been nonstop, and I was exhausted. We allowed some negotiation with the Institute scientists to ease their fears about our intentions. The creation of synths was immediately dismissed, and the lab was torn apart to begin renovations. We moved the scribes stationed on the Prydwen to the Institute, along with all of their ongoing projects and equipment. We rearranged our soldiers and assigned new guard duties to both the interior and exterior of the Institute. At this rate, we basically claimed Cambridge as our own town. 

Today, we had ventured into the Glowing Sea to check on Dr. Virgil in his cave. He had returned to his human self and was armed with prying questions about the Institute. Although he was happy to learn that the Institute remained intact, he was apprehensive about the Brotherhood’s involvement. It took me several attempts to persuade him that I had good intentions for the new arrangement. It took me even longer to persuade him to return.

“I left the Institute because of the guilt my work caused me, and now you wish for me to return?” The doctor eyed me with reproach. 

“This is an opportunity to change the course of how you conducted research. I’ve read the files. I know innocent people were put in your trails. Maybe it’s time to switch tactics.” 

“And  _ what  _ exactly are you trying to say? That we wrangle up  _ mutants  _ as test subjects?” 

I raised an eyebrow and sharply shot back, “Versus what? Injecting people purposely with FEV?” Virgil slowly sat back in his chair and stared at me. I continued calmly when he did not retort, “The Brotherhood wishes to eradicate the Super Mutant race. We can do so in a manner that is lethal- meaning many lives will be lost in the process. Humans  _ and _ mutants alike. Or, we can start with a cure, followed by a vaccine. We can eradicate the problem from the source. If you join us, we can save lives for generations to come. If you don’t...then we’ll have to continue our  _ original  _ methods.”

The doctor sat and contemplated for a long moment, “Alright. I’ll go back, as long as your army is willing to help get the mutants.”

“We’d be delighted,” I smiled. “Gather up your things, we’ll escort you back to your old home.” 

I sighed heavily at the thought. In a few days, I would have to check in on him and see what he needed from us. I could only hope that he kept his word. 

Danse took a seat on the bed at my feet, picking up my legs and placing them in his lap. He began to massage my aching feet. I looked at him with a warm smile. 

“You’ve had a busy week,” Danse smiled as he dug his thumbs into the arches of my feet. 

“This is the first quiet moment we’ve had in  _ days, _ ” I sighed. 

Danse massaged both of my feet before moving up my legs. I closed my eyes, enjoying our peace and quiet while he pampered me. Slowly, he began to pull down my sweat pants, kissing each inch of newly exposed skin. I closed my eyes as he began kissing his way up my other leg and pulled away my panties. 

He nuzzled his way between my thighs, gently taking the tip of his tongue and running it along my folds until he reached my clit. I closed my eyes and let out a soft moan. He was gentle and slow like he had all the time in the world to dedicate to me.

His two fingers entered me- he pushed deep inside me and slowly pulled them out a few times, teasing me, before settling on the sensitive spot. He rubbed against that wonderful sensitive spot and worked my clit with his tongue. He’d change his pace according to my body language, knowing how to edge me along. I ran my fingers through his hair, gaining a pleased moan from Danse as he continued his work. I felt all of my muscles tighten, my toes curled. As my climax hit, my body spasmed, and I was rendered unable to scream out. I was left a trembling mess. 

Danse withdrew his fingers and quickly replaced them with the tip of his cock. I moaned as he slowly slid himself inside. He locked me in his arms and kissed my neck. I brought my arms and legs around him, trapping him against me. He let out a chuckle as his kisses migrated from my neck to my lips. 

I opened my eyes and stared into his, “I love you.” 

“And I love you,” He said before planting another kiss and slowly thrust deeper inside of me. 

Danse made love to me as passionately as ever. I ran my fingers through his hair as he kissed me tenderly. He reached this climax and moaned into my neck, sending shivers down my spine. He withdrew himself and laid next to me on the bed. I curled into his side and rested my head on his shoulder. 

Danse kissed my forehead, “ _ Elder _ .” 

I snickered, “ _ Star-Paladin. _ ” 

I closed my eyes and relaxed into him. He gently stroked the arm I had secured around his torso. I was almost asleep when he cleared his throat. 

“You never told me what Shaun gave you before he died,” Danse said softly.

I chuckled and rolled over to the edge of the bed, grabbing the vial out of my jacket pocket before turning back to him, “Take a look.” 

Danse adjusted himself to a sitting position. He took the vial in his hands and looked it over for several moments. He looked at me with a raised eyebrow, not understanding what I had just given him. I laughed, turning the vial in his hand and pointing the barcode. I watched as his eyes read over the code, and the moment he read the last four digits.

“It has my synth designation,” He said, eyebrows knitting together. “Roxi, what  _ is _ this?” 

I sighed and adjusted myself to a sitting position on the bed, “ _ Well _ . Before I left the Institute for good, Shuan told me about his plans for the Gen-4 synths. I wanted to know more about what the Institute already had in the works...so I hacked a computer before I left. Regardless if I agreed with their plans or not, I’ve always found it worthwhile to dive into the thoughts of another scientist to find the very spark of inspiration that led them to their developments. I think it’s important to learn all of the facts before forming an opinion. 

“When they started the Gen-3s, the scientists couldn’t perfect the female hormonal system. They were,  _ however _ , able to create a functional male hormonal system, and therefore created the DNA needed to support the creation of life. But because they could not balance the female’s hormones correctly, they decided they wanted to pause the program so they could research the issue further. No female scientist wanted to voluntarily try the synth DNA in vivo. They were able to prove that the specimens worked in vitro, but, sadly, no scientist was willing to carry it. The tests were considered inconclusive, but highly favorable.” 

Danse’s eyes were wide as he stared at the vial in his hands. His lips were slightly parted, but he did not comment. 

“It has a shelf life of ten years,” I said softly. “So...we don’t have to make any decisions now.” 

“I…” Danse barely whispered the word. He looked up to me, tears welling in his eyes. The sight of his emotion made my chest ache, and I couldn’t help my own threat of tears. “We...can still have a chance of a family?” 

“ _ Yes _ ,” I said, a single tear falling from my eye. “We still have a chance if we want it.” 

Danse gasped, his tears spilling over. He flung his arms around me and cried into my chest. I couldn’t help but cry with him, kissing the top of his head and stroking back his hair. I handed him a piece of his dream, our dream, that we thought was taken from us forever. I had just handed him a chance at  _ normalcy _ , all thanks to Shaun. 

****

_ March 22nd, 2289 _

__ “Ma’am we’re on final approach to Sanctuary,” Announced the pilot. “They’ve granted us permission to land on the other side of the river.”

“Perfect,” I nodded to myself. “I’ll send word when it’s time to head back to base.” 

“Yes, ma’am,” The pilot returned. 

Danse sent a curious glance in my direction, “Do you trust them enough to spend the weekend?”

I nodded, “I do. I also believe it’s going to take the entire weekend to negotiate.”

“Just remember, we’re here for business.” 

“Doesn’t mean we can’t have  _ some _ fun,” I said with a smirk, to which Danse sighed. “Business first,” I reassured him. “But I do have a lot of friends I’d like to see, even if it’s just for a quick moment.” 

The vertibird touched down and the engines were shut off. Danse stepped out first to ensure the area was clear before waving me forward. We started across the bridge as I looked around the area. It had changed so much since I had first left the vault, and I couldn’t help but feel a swell of pride for Preston. He had worked so hard to make this happen and was finding success.

Preston and MacCready met us on the outside of the town gate. For a moment we shared a look of contemplation. I’m sure they didn’t know how they were supposed to address me, and I was unsure if they wanted to treat me as a friend or a business associate.

Preston smiled his normal bright smile, “You’ve been busy.” 

I laughed, feeling the tension break, “Sure have been.”

“It’s good to see that you’re both alive and well. I was pretty nervous when Danse went back to the Prydwen for you.” 

“Things worked out in the end,” I smiled up to Danse.

“And you’ve taken down the Institute,” Preston nodded. “Pretty impressive first week as Elder, I’d say. Come on in, we’ll talk inside.” 

Preston escorted us to a building set up behind the wall that acted as their security office. We sat down and went through a round of small talk before breaking down to business. 

“So, what did you call this meeting for?” Preston said, leaning back in his chair.

“I know that Maxson had treated the Minutemen poorly in the past-”

“- _ pfft. _ You can say  _ that _ again,” MacCready said from the corner of the room. 

I tried not to eye him with distaste. He was right to say it. “I’d like to discuss what we can do to help one another.” 

“In terms  _ of _ ?” Preston prompted.

“Trade, mostly. And a neutral agreement between armies.” 

Preston raised an eyebrow, “A neutral agreement? Like what?” 

“Co-existing in the Commonwealth. I’d love to hear your thoughts on what would be best for your people.”

MacCready piped up from the corner again, “You guys  _ leaving _ would be a great start.” 

“I’m sorry, MacCready. But that’s not an option for us. We’re staying in the Commonwealth. We want to make it a better place to live.” 

MacCready snorted, “You want to make it better? How? By taking out those that don’t agree with you? By wiping out the existence of everything non-human?” 

I closed my eyes and collected myself before continuing, “I’m not Arthur Maxson. The way I’m operating the Brotherhood is different.” 

“Yeah, sure. But you’re  _ still  _ the Brotherhood of Steel. I watched what they did in the Capital Wasteland. And I know you’ll do it here, too.” 

I sighed heavily, “I know you don’t trust us. But can you at least give me a  _ chance _ ?” 

Preston interjected before MacCready said something damning, “I’m willing to give you a chance. But let’s settle something first.” 

“Of course,” I nodded. 

“Maxson was forcing our allied farms to give away a percentage of their crops without anything in return besides being pulverized by his army. How are you going to change that?” 

“It ceases immediately,” I said calmly. “I’d much rather become a trade partner than a threatening dictatorship.” 

“What does the Brotherhood have to trade?” MacCready spat. 

“We’re willing to initiate a trade of civilian grade ammunition and weaponry for food and other supplies. We might be able to expand our offerings in the future, but we have some renovations to complete before that happens.” 

MacCready narrowed his eyes, “‘Civilian grade?’ What exactly is  _ that _ ?” 

“Well, we’re certainly not trading our power armor or vertibirds. So what else is left, MacCready?” 

Preston let out a small chuckle, “Okay, Roxi. I see your point. What else is the Brotherhood going to do for the Commonwealth?” 

“In a few weeks, we’re going to enact Project Purity to help clean up the water in the city.” 

“Oh, I’ve heard  _ this  _ one before,” MacCready rolled his eyes. “So you can control the water, right?” 

“So we can start cleaning up the water and reactivating the water sanitation stations around the Commonwealth. Which will create jobs. Which will create an economy.” Preston and MacCready shared a look but did not comment, wanting me to continue. “Guys. We’ve been living in the dark for too long. Two-hundred years, and no progress to bring back a sustainable life. Sure, you can farm. You can build walls. You can run around and ward off Raiders and Gunners and creatures of all sorts. But we’re still living like the bombs fell a few years ago. What’s going to happen when all of the supplies have been picked clean? When there are no more stashes to rummage through? We have to start  _ producing _ .” I looked at the two men, feeling my passion starting to boil out of my calm frame, “Cready- you’re a farmer. You know  _ exactly  _ what it takes to produce for yourself and for a profit. It’s not impossible! People  _ produced _ four hundred years ago when they didn’t have a skeleton of what the world used to be lying at their feet! They made it work. You guys are making it work  _ here _ . If we start working with what was left, we can start building the Commonwealth back up again.” 

Preston leaned forward and rested his arms on the table. After a long moment, he sighed, “Alright. We’ll start simple and start trading with you... _ only _ if we can have the Castle.” 

I looked to Danse, who shared the same concerns as I did. “The Castle is in close range of our Base. We have some security concerns with that.” 

“Because we’d be armed?” 

I shifted uncomfortably, “Heavy long-ranged weapons are concerning.” 

“Isn’t your base also equipped with long-ranged weapons and vertibirds to launch counterattacks? You’d be on us before we could even reload.” 

“So, what? You want to have a cold war between us?”

“I would hope that it would be more of a trusted agreement not to blow each other up,” Preston shrugged. 

“If you don’t attack us, we wouldn’t have a reason to attack you,” I nodded, but wondered to myself if it would be a cold war or an open friendship. “What would the Castle be used for?” 

“Improved radio communication for the Minutemen. A place to train our newcomers. If you’re talking about expanding trade through the Commonwealth, it might be a good place to make a trade depot.” 

I raised an eyebrow, “You might be onto something there. No one is going to raid a trade depot that is armed within itself and also protected by the Brotherhood.” 

Preston smiled, “We could make it work.”

The conversation went on for several hours. We created a rough draft of how to kickstart our new endeavors. MacCready never ceased his skepticism during the meeting. In the end, Preston and I shook hands, confirming our newfound alliance. We had a lot of work to do, but in the end, it would be worth it. 

In 2287, when I stumbled out of the vault on that October day, I thought I was alone in the world. I was afraid that the world was inhabitable, engulfed by fire and radiation, and that I would suffer because of it. But as I walked the streets of a very different Sanctuary in 2289, I was happy that I was wrong. Even though there were times that I felt alone, or felt lost and scared, I had found several friends in the Wasteland. Sure, things didn’t completely turn out the way I wanted. Yes, I missed my family. But I survived. I made friends. I fought enemies. I moved on. I found love. I made a difference in a world ravaged by disaster. And I vowed to keep going. 


	55. Chapter 55

#  **Roxi**

_ March 11th, 2299 _

  
  


The Brotherhood of Steel base was alive with excitement for tonight’s celebration. Colorful paper banners crisscrossed from rooftop to rooftop over every street along with strings of lights. Vendors from all over the area were setting up their paid spots to sell various goods, crafts, and food tonight. A stage was set for the army band to play. I took a deep breath, remembering what life was like here on Base when I was just a Knight. 

The base looked very different than it did ten years ago. There was no Prydwen floating ominously over the Commonwealth- it was safely tucked away in its retractable shelter, awaiting the day she would be called upon for war along with Liberty Prime. The base had expanded a few miles, obtaining the local buildings and even Fort Strong. The nearby buildings had been renovated to proper living standards to house our troops and their families. 

Our numbers skyrocketed after Project Purity was successfully implemented. The entire Commonwealth was alive with purpose. Trade and production were excellent- Preston reported during our previous quarter meeting that people from all over the country traveled here for supplies. The crime was at an all-time low with both large Minutemen and Brotherhood of Steel patrols in the area. A cure for all FEV strains was finally being distributed, and a vaccine was close to completion. 

We reclaimed and renovated two hospitals, Medford Memorial in the North, and Milton General in the South. Brotherhood Scribes and Minutemen Medics now had a waiting list of being stationed at one of the two hospitals. A few Institute doctors were now working as attending doctors alongside a few physicians from different parts of the country. My friend, Brandy, oversaw the Cardiology department and was surprisingly not the only ghoul to practice at these hospitals. 

Dogmeat gave a playful bark beside me, pulling me from my thoughts. I smiled at the old dog, whose face was almost white. He ran a little slower these days, but he was always up for a gingerly paced walk around the base. Dogmeat wagged his tail, eyes trained on Danse as held the door open for our two kids to make their way outside. Kinsley Ray bounced out of the house first, she was our youngest at the age of three. Following close behind was her eight-year-old brother, Garett Nathaniel. 

“Mama!” Kinsley ran down the steps and toward me in her new party dress. 

“Hey, kiddo,” I smiled and picked her up. “Your socks don’t match.” 

Kinsley let out a high-pitched giggle, “ _ Nooo. _ ” 

Garret tugged at the sleeves of his dress shirt, “Hey, Mom, Dad said I could run around with the other Squires tonight if it was okay with you.  _ So _ , can I?”   
“Sure, but  _ after _ the dedication ceremony. Just behave yourself and  _ tie your shoelace _ ,” I said looking down at his right foot. 

“ _Awe_ _man_ ,” Garett whispered to himself as he bent down to tie his shoe. 

“Did your Dad give you some caps?” 

Garett popped up, now with a double knotted shoelace, “Yup!” 

“Good,” I smiled. “If you need more, come find us.”

Danse came behind me and kissed me on the cheek, “Can you believe it’s been ten years already?”

“Time flies when you’re having fun,” I chuckled and started our stroll to the Base’s courtyard.

At 1800 hours, a ten-year dedication was held to honor the surviving members of both the Brotherhood and the Railroad that successfully overthrew the Institute. It’s the same story we tell our kids every year, sparing the gory details, and instead of glorifying the victory. Deacon was among one of the surviving members and was always excited to see us as a family. 

The dedication was promptly followed by the opening of vendors and the start of the band. It was a beautiful night. We dropped Kinsely off with her daycare playgroup, and Garett found a group of his Squire friends to run around with. Danse and I found ourselves a good food vendor and took a seat to listen to the band play. 

I had my share of adventures as Elder during these last ten years. My kids always wanted to hear the exciting stories I had to tell. Everything from the battle of the Institute, the Fog of Far Harbor, and even a crazed scientist with a disposition for robots. For now, they grew up in a time of peace. I hoped it would stay that way. I hoped that my own kids wouldn’t have to fight in a war against a force that threatened our way of life, or the livelihood of others.

Danse extended his hand at the start of the next song. I smiled and took it, allowing him to lead me onto the dance floor. We reached the center, and applause for us grew through the crowd, as was customary for when the Elder took to the floor. We swayed together, staring into each other's eyes full with as much love as when we first proclaimed it. 

“ _ Elder _ ,” Danse smiled. 

“ _ Star-Paladin _ ,” I smiled back. 

“I remember the day we first met in vivid detail,” He said low enough that only I could hear. “Look how far we’ve come.”

I laughed, “And two kids later, we’re still going strong.” 

“Whatever caused our fates to intertwine would never let them unravel.” 

I chuckled, blushing under his gaze, “I love you, Danse.” 

“And I love you more than you know,” He smiled, bringing his lips to mine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it- the final chapter! Thank you guys so much for reading this fic! It means so much to me that you've stuck through all 55 chapters! Thank you SO MUCH!


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